


Secrets That Remain Untold

by rachelhanke



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2019-10-02 10:57:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 133,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17262989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachelhanke/pseuds/rachelhanke
Summary: "Something's wrong with me.""Why do you say that?"Why had she said that? Was she referring to what happened just now, or who her father was? Both, she decided. Heat pulsed away from her, and she looked down the corridor as every candle was extinguished. She let out a rattling breath that ghosted away from her.Turning back to him in the half light, "That's why," she breathed.





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. The Hogwarts letter is straight from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Chapter 4.

* * *

 

Sunlight filtered into the room through the enormous west facing windows, slowly beginning to creep its way across the floor, washing out the gray carpet as it went. The room was designed to have a calming effect on those who waited within it. The walls were a pale shade of blue that imitated the sky on a clear and carefree day. The chairs were arranged in a sort of open circle with a table at their center, and a few plants were strategically placed about the room as well. The only sound was the gentle scratching of a pencil against paper.

The receptionist had stepped out to use the restroom so there was only one occupant in the room and she sat quietly. She was curled up in the corner recliner, the only comfortable place in the entire office, and worked with her pencil over her sketchpad. She was focused entirely on what she was doing but her expression was soft, like she hadn't a worry in the world. Her eyes followed the path of her pencil, carefully bringing the image in her mind to life on the paper. To a casual observer she may have appeared peaceful, at ease in this tranquil place, but that was far from reality.

A loud bang came from down the hall, immediately followed by shouting, but she wasn't fazed in the slightest. Every Tuesday afternoon at 3 o'clock she had an appointment with Dr. Hadley, and every Tuesday at 2 o'clock Ms. Lewis had her appointment. Ms. Lewis was one of what the girl had deemed 'Hadley's Crazies', because crazy is exactly what each one of her patients was, each one except the girl. She had no reason or desire to be there; she would have rather been anywhere else, but she had no say in the matter. It had been mandated by the system she was stuck in, they thought, or pretended to think, it would help her. The two oblivious parent wanna-be's that had adopted her were more than willing to abide, they treated her more like an accessory than a daughter anyway.

So there she went, every Tuesday, and every Tuesday Ms. Lewis would slam open the office door at five minutes to 3 o'cock and leave in a terrible fit, you could set your watch by her, she was that predictable. Of course the first few times had given the girl a start, but she and Ms. Lewis had been coming here for many years now and they had always had those same appointments. The girl no longer batted an eye at her outbursts. She wasn't sure what caused them, only the doctor could know that, but it was like Ms. Lewis was an alarm programmed to go off each Tuesday at 2:55 in the afternoon. Sometimes the girl wondered if it was restricted to Tuesday's or if it happened every other day of the week as well.

"Ms. Lewis!" the receptionist came rushing out of the bathroom.

Claire or maybe it was Claudia; the girl never made the effort to remember her name.

"Ms. Lewis!" She wrenched open the front door, which Ms. Lewis had just disappeared through and yelled after her, "Ms. Lewis, don't forget your appointment next Tuesday at 2pm!"

The receptionist turned around looking flustered, as she always did after chasing Ms. Lewis out the door, though today Claudia had the added bonus of a half tucked shirt from her trip to the bathroom. The girl didn't understand why the receptionist insisted on running after Ms. Lewis and shouting her appointment time after her each week, it never changed, at least not for the past five years.

Claire took a moment to collect herself before returning to her desk. Once there she looked to the girl and said with that annoyingly bright smile, "Dr. Hadley will be right with you, you can go and wait in her office if you'd like." It was the same thing she said every Tuesday, of every week, of every year.

The girl flipped her notebook closed and tucked it along with her pencils away into her bag. As she rose she hoisted it up onto her shoulder and crossed the lobby to take the familiar path to the doctor's office, nothing she hadn't done well over a hundred times by now. Down the hall, third door on the left, gently open the door so it didn't knock down the poorly placed wall hanging behind it. So familiar was she with her path that she was several steps into the room before she looked up and saw a not so familiar occupant.

3 o'clock had been her appointment for as long as she could remember, every Tuesday of every month of every year for the past five years; it was always the same. But it seemed someone had made an error, somewhere along the lines there had been a mix up or misunderstanding because there was an elderly man in the room, and judging by his appearance he too was one of Hadley's Crazies. He had chosen to sit in the doctor's seat rather than the patient's and he looked quite comfortable there. He had sparkling blue eyes that sat behind half moon spectacles; his beard and hair were each at least two feet long and as white as snow; and he wore floor length midnight blue robes with a matching hat. He was most definitely one of Hadley's Crazies.

"I'm sorry, she told me to come back. There must have been a mix up," she said.

"No need to apologize, there was no mix up," the man said plainly.

She paused, wondering how he had even managed to get into the office without passing her in the waiting room. Unless he could teleport, which was absurd.

She shook the outrageous thought away, "I'm going to go ask Claire what's going on."

She made to turn around when he spoke again, "Clarissa won't be able to tell you, she isn't aware that I am here." So that was the receptionist's name, although the man was likely a patient, which would put his credibility level somewhere south of zero.

"So you're invisible to everyone but me, is that it?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

He gave a small chuckle, "In a manner of speaking, yes I am."

She suppressed a small laugh, "okay then, why is it I can see you?"

"Because you're the one I came to speak with," he said still smiling.

She was still slightly amused by his delusion but decided it was best not to participate any longer. "I'll go and get the doc for you, I think she's the one you need to speak with." She turned to leave the office but stopped dead when he spoke again.

"No Kaelix, I came to speak with you," he corrected her.

The slight amusement fell from her face and her mind started doing cartwheels. She turned back slowly to see his still smiling face, though now she felt as though it was mocking her, like he knew something she did not.

"And how is it that you know my name?" she asked flatly.

"That is a story best saved for another time and place, but please come and sit down, there is plenty for us to discuss today," he said, indicating the chair across from his own.

Kaelix still hesitated, "How do I know that you're not one of Hadley's Crazies?"

"How would you know if I was?" he asked simply

"Well it seems rather obvious; you're not exactly dressed for a stroll through town," she pointed out.

"That depends on the town," he said with a smile.

She suppressed another scoff, "Are you suggesting that there are towns where your current attire is acceptable on a daily basis?"

"Of course there are, several in fact."

"Now you look and sound crazy."

"And you haven't even heard any of what I came here to discuss with you."

"Well, why don't you tell me already."

"Very well then, I've come here to extend to you an invitation to study at my school."

"And what school is that?" she asked doubtfully.

"Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But that should come as no surprise to you."

There was a moment of silence during which Kaelix contemplated who was crazier; him for telling her this story, or her for staying to listen. "Did you think that would make you sound less crazy?"

"Not at all and I never claimed such a thing. But the fact is you are still here."

"What does that matter?"

"If you truly believed that I was one of, how did you put it? Ah, yes, Hadley's Crazies, then you would have left already. The fact that you're still here means that you believe otherwise."

"You have no idea what I do or do not believe, Old Man. Now how is it that you know who I am?"

"Unfortunately, it is much too long of a story for today," he said with a small sigh.

"Give me the short version," she said stubbornly.

He paused and considered her for a moment with a soft expression; his gaze however, was striking. She wondered what he contemplated behind his unwavering façade, what did he hide there? Surely it was something significant for it to be so well guarded. Despite his outwardly eccentric appearance, the man had a certain air of greatness about him that asserted credibility. And although he carried it without arrogance, Kaelix was not impressed with his humility either; it felt more like a tactic than sincerity; he wasn't here to offer her anything, he was here because he wanted something.

"Very well," he said without warning. "I came to know you through a friend of mine."

Kaelix waited for more but he did not elaborate.

"That's it?" she asked incredulously.

"That is the short version, as you requested. Now if you'll come and have a seat, we have other matters to discuss."

She stood in the doorway stuck in uncertainty. She wasn't convinced that she could trust this man. This stranger that mysteriously showed up in her appointment room, waiting for her, knowing she would be there and somehow knowing her name. Kaelix glanced back down the hall toward the waiting room and wondered; if she simply walked out, would the man be back again the next week, patiently waiting for her in Dr. Hadley's chair? Somehow, though she didn't understand how, somehow she knew he would be.

"Don't worry, we won't be disturbed," he said, mistaking her reason for looking.

She looked back into the room at him with her brow furrowed. What he said made no sense at all considering she had an appointment and the doc would be there at any moment. But again for some unexplainable reason, she believed that he was right, they would not be interrupted.

"I almost forgot, I have something for you," he said as he reached into his robes.

When his hand emerged he was holding a small envelope. He extended it in her direction, indicating that she should take it. She hesitated for a moment but then made her way into the room to see what this envelope contained. It was thicker than she had imagined it would be, not just the contents but the envelope itself seemed to be made of rough thick paper, almost like parchment. On the front, in emerald green ink was her name, Kaelix Williams, and an address that had once been hers.

"What is this?" she said a little sharper than she had intended.

"Something long overdue." He said with that warm yet mysterious smile.

When it was clear that he was not going to add anything else, Kaelix flipped the envelope over and carefully broke the seal with her finger. Inside the envelope there were three separate pieces of the parchment style paper, she removed the foremost one first. As she unfolded it she began to recognize the same cursive handwriting as was on the exterior. Unconsciously holding her breath she began to read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards.)

Dear Miss Williams,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

"If this is some kind of joke, it's not funny in the least," she said quietly.

"I can assure you this is not a joke; it is an invitation, to someplace quite real," he said calmly.

"You mean to tell me that, this place, your school," -she looked back down at the letter again- "this Hogwarts. You actually teach magic?"

"And more." There was that damnable smile again.

"Why should I believe you? How can I be sure that this isn't some kind of trick? And you're not just some psychopath who kidnaps children?" she asked.

"Ah yes, there are always those few who take some convincing," he said, still smiling.

He reached inside his robes and withdrew a slender piece of polished wood. Kaelix's eyes widened a bit when she put two and two together and realized that it was his magic wand. He adjusted himself in his seat slightly as he looked around the room searching for something, though Kaelix had no idea what. His eyes settled on a plant on a little table in the corner of the room. It was supposed to help create a calming and restorative atmosphere, or some other such nonsense. But really it was just a pathetic and depressing little green plant due to the fact that it appeared to be in a constant state of wilt.

The Old Man, as she had titled him, smiled. He looked at the dying plant and smiled. Kaelix was about to ask if there was something amusing that she wasn't aware of when he lifted his wand and made a few quick motions with it. Immediately the plant began to come to life, and not just straightening up either, it began to grow, it spread along the walls of the room and grew until it reached the ceiling and didn't stop there. The stems grew until they could be considered vines, and the leaves spread until they covered the walls and ceiling completely. The picture frames and bookshelves were overcome by the plant, it had come to life. The vines crawled across the floor toward Kaelix and she wondered if they would wrap and grow over her as well but they simply parted and continued past her to the rest of the room. Eventually they encompassed the door and swung it shut behind her. The light from the window could hardly penetrate the thick wall of greenery that had grown over it. When all of the furniture had disappeared beneath a sea of green leaves, all of the life seemed to leave the plant and it stilled. Kaelix was now standing in the middle of a jungle.

Her eyes travelled along the thick vines, giant leaves, and flowers that had grown and blossomed in mere seconds and she had to remind herself to breathe.

"This could still be a trick you know, there are plenty of ways to create the illusion of magic," she said as flatly as she could manage.

"You may investigate as you wish but you will find no assistance, no hidden leavers, no invisible strings, and no secret doors. It is purely magic," he said so sincerely she almost had to believe him, but she didn't want to.

"There's no way to prove that, any proof you offer could just as easily be fabricated," she argued stubbornly.

"Why do you protest something so strongly when you know it to be true?" he asked.

"Because magic isn't real, it can't be."

"You just witnessed magic turn a frail dying plant into a lush thriving jungle in mere moments, and you would still deny its existence? Even when this isn't the first instance of magic you've been privy to?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, her mind instantly jumping to the memory she knew he must be referring to.

"Kaelix, you're far too smart of a young girl to ask a question that you already know the answer to," he was no longer smiling.

She wanted to argue with him, deny knowing anything about it, and forget this conversation had ever happened. But she couldn't for one simple reason; he was right.

"Magic is real," she said quietly, finally admitting something that she'd denied for nearly six years now.

"Indeed it is," he said smiling yet again.

"He was right," she said quieter still, then scoffed, "he was always right."

"Pardon, I didn't catch that?" he asked.

Kaelix gave herself a small shake to dislodge the old memories before she became lost in them, and turned once more to the Old Man sitting before her.

"Why do you wish me to attend your school so desperately?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked in return.

"You seem to have a vested interest in my acceptance of your invitation, or does the headmaster of the school invite every student personally?"

"Ahh, I see. Well, yours is a bit of a special case. You see normally students receive their letter upon their eleventh birthday, and that is the year they begin at Hogwarts. But for some reason unbeknownst to me our delivery system failed to deliver your letter. It is an unprecedented problem and therefor I thought it deserved an unprecedented solution."

"So I would be two years behind in classes?"

"I'm still working out the finer details with my staff but don't let that deter you from coming. I assure you, should you choose to attend Hogwarts you will learn much more than you ever imagined."

Kaelix felt there was a double meaning behind his words but she knew that if she pressed the matter he would not admit to it. It was plain that something was there, he did not reveal it but it was as though he wanted it so strongly that he could not conceal it entirely, at least not from her. She stood in contemplation for a short time and realized that at some point she had resigned to believing him, no matter how nonsensical it sounded, because now she was contemplating whether or not she would go. She disregarded her 'parents' because she knew that the Old Man would likely have a solution for that as well. In the end she realized not what her decision was, but what it had to be. She looked back to the Old Man and found him looking at her intently again; when their gazes locked she saw the corner of his mouth turn up with a knowing smile.

"Well that settles it then. You'll find a list of supplies in with your letter, and a list of extra classes of which you will need to pick two. The train leaves from platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station at exactly 11 o'clock on September the first, you'll find your ticket in with your letter as well. Now let's see, anything else.. Anything else… Ah, yes, of course. You'll need to go visit Diagon Alley to purchase your supplies, would you like someone to escort you there? Or would you rather find your way back on your own?"

Her brow furrowed in question, "back?" she asked.

"Well, I suppose you didn't make it all the way there last time, but you did manage to find the Leaky Cauldron quite easily, if you remember."

Kaelix did remember the Leaky Cauldron, quite well. She had stumbled across it when she'd been on holiday with her parents in London last month. Though it was more like bring your daughter to work to show all your colleagues what amazing parents you are, rather than a holiday. No one else on the street that day seemed to have seen it. Apart from the one man that she had followed right through the front door.

"You will find the entrance to Diagon Alley in the back of the Leaky Cauldron. Just ask Tom, the bartender, he will be more than happy to show you the way." He stood rather abruptly, shaking Kaelix from her thoughts about buying supplies for a magical school down a seemingly random alley located behind a selectively visible pub in the middle of London.

"Now I'm afraid I must be off but before I go, take this." He withdrew a small pouch from his robes and held it out to her.

He dropped it into her outstretched hand with a small clink. "I believe that will be sufficient for everything you need. If you have any problems with anything, the owls know how to find me. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and remember, the train leaves at exactly 11 o'clock." He gave her one last warm smile that still seemed to be masking something, before striding across the room and disappearing down the hallway.

Kaelix hesitated for a moment before rushing over to the door herself, wondering if he would truly just walk out the front door. But when she peered down the hallway he was already gone.

"Miss Williams, sorry I'm a bit late." Kaelix heard Dr. Hadley say from behind her.

She turned around to see that the clock read 3:05pm, being approximately 7 minutes faster than the clock in the reception area it was the same time it had been when she'd found the Old Man in the office. On top of that, everything in the room was just as it had been before; the jungle had disappeared and the small potted plant was back to its original pathetic size.

"How on Earth…?" She whispered to herself.

"So," the doctor began, indicating she should take her usual seat on the sofa. "Did anything of interest happen this week?"


	2. 27

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. The Firebolt description is taken directly from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 4._

* * *

"You're done now, dear."

Her curiosity had gotten the better of her and it had landed her right here, standing on a pedestal in the middle of a robe shop. Kaelix stepped down from the stool she'd been standing on for nearly twenty minutes. A measuring tape had been flying all around her taking every sort of measurement possible, many of which she was certain were completely useless. Now it gently floated down to rest on the stool where she'd just been standing. More than happy to be done with the unnecessary poking, prodding, and squeezing of the tape; she made her way to the counter to pay for the robes.

The wizard money that the Old Man had given her felt cold and heavy in her hand as she pulled it out, even through the cloth pouch it was stored in.

"How much?" she asked, hoping she remembered what each piece was called.

"3 of the gold ones and 4 of the bronze." She answered with a warm smile.

Kaelix forced a polite smile, "you could tell?" she asked.

"You often can when someone comes along who hasn't grown up around it. You watch differently than those that are used to it, you appreciate it more." She added.

Kaelix smiled politely again and handed the money to the woman. As she exited the shop into the warm August sun she thought about what the shop owner had said, "you often can when someone comes along who hasn't grown up around it." So she wasn't the only one that knew nothing of this place before coming, she wasn't the only one who's reality had been altered one day, by one conversation. Shifting the universe that she'd come to know and accept.

It'd been one week since Professor Dumbledore's unexpected visit and his invitation for her to come to Hogwarts. If anyone had told her before that conversation that in one week's time she would be walking up and down the cobblestone streets of a magical village, then she would have said that they would be walking into an asylum with a straight jacket before sundown. But here she was walking past a shop that was selling newt eyes, unicorn horns, bat wings, and more. She could hardly believe her eyes when Tom, the bartender at the Leaky Cauldron, had shown her through the brick wall behind the pub. Part of her amazement was due to all the shops and the items they were selling, the other part was at how many people were in the small village. Doors to shops were constantly being closed and opened, kids yelled across the street to their parents, friends laughed and joked while shopping together, and owls flew overhead, their eyes watching everyone in the street in an almost hawk like fashion.

The street was filled with liveliness, but as more and more time passed Kaelix began to feel as if it were all an act, as if the happiness was being forced. Once in awhile she would see someone look cautiously over his or her shoulder before hurrying on ahead. They were on edge; every single person in the village was on edge. As Kaelix looked closer she could see that the doors were being snapped shut with impatience and growing anxiety; the kids weren't yelling for their parents, their parents were yelling for them to stay close and not wander; friends were staying together in tight groups, most accompanied by an adult, and their jokes were simply attempts to ease the nervousness in the air.

Kaelix pressed on searching for a place to buy a wand, the only thing that she had not yet acquired. She noticed that the anxiety of the crowds seemed to be increasing as time passed and they began to thin out a little as evening approached. What was it that all of these people were afraid of? She wondered. Did some kind of monster come out when the sun went down, or perhaps everything would turn back into stone, or maybe pumpkins?

"Mom I want a FIREBOLT!" someone yelled to her left.

She turned to see a brat of a little boy tugging his mother's robes begging for something.

"Michael gets one, how come I don't!" he demanded.

"I told you already Connor, because you're six and he's seventeen. Now come on. We have to go home and feed the owls. And prepare dinner for your father..."

The women hauled her son away as he continued to protest. But he hadn't been the only one ogling at the widow of that particular shop. She had noticed a crowd outside the window of that particular shop before but hadn't paid any attention before. Now she was curious about what was provoking the curiosity of so many people. And what the hell was a Firebolt anyway? Something like a lightning bolt she supposed. Even now there was a group of boys, whose ages appeared to range from seven or eight to as old as mid-twenties, crowding around and a few girls too. Kaelix stepped closer and heard snatches of conversation, "it'll be a favorite for the world cup." "Price on request though. Hmm..." "It's the best ever! Everyone will want one!" Want one what? She wondered.

She walked closer to try and see what they were all looking at. It wasn't easy considering the number of people there and all the bags she was carrying. Somehow she managed to squeeze her way up to the front of the mass of people and lay eyes on what they were all here for.

A broom. That was it. A charcoal black broom lay on a ruby red pillow inside the window. With a raised eyebrow Kaelix looked around. They were all here for a broom. And she thought that the shop selling clocks had been a joke. When she turned her gaze back to the window she saw a sign next to the Firebolt, it read;

THE FIREBOLT

This state-of-the-art racing broom sports a streamlined, superfine handle of ash,

treated with a diamond-hard polish and hand-numbered with its own registration

number. Each individually selected birch twig in the broomtail has been honed to

aerodynamic perfection, giving the Firebolt unsurpassable balance and pinpoint

precision. The Firebolt has an acceleration of 150 miles an hour in ten seconds

and incorporates an unbreakable Braking Charm. Price on request.

"Oh brother," she sighed, "this really is the whole deal, flying brooms and everything," she muttered to herself.

"Haven't you ever seen a broom before?" a voice asked.

Kaelix looked around. The voice had come from her right. A boy was standing there looking at her, a questioning gleam in his eyes. She stared at him. She didn't know him at all.

"Excuse me?" she said.

"A broom, haven't you ever seen one before?" he asked slowly.

Kaelix opened her mouth to reply but she was pushed sideways into him.

"Watch it!" someone said behind them.

Whoever it was that they had knocked into, shoved them back. Kaelix hit someone else, lost her balance, and fell to the ground just past the now thinning group of people. She lost grip of her shopping bags and they tumbled to the ground, some of the contents scattering. Kaelix sighed in aggravation and started collecting the scattered books and supplies. She reached out for her divination book, titled Unfogging The Future but instead of the rough book cover her hand met another hand. She followed the arm with her gaze to see whom it belonged to. Her eyes met emerald green ones. It was the boy who'd asked her if she'd ever seen a broom before.

She withdrew her hand quickly and stood up. After dusting off her pants Kaelix picked up her bags and looked up.

"I see you're taking Divination, I am too, maybe we'll be in the same class." The boy held out her divination book.

She shifted the bags in her hands and took it from him without a word.

"I don't think we've met before, my name is Harry," he offered. "What's yours?"

Kaelix returned the book to her bag and did not reply.

"Are you okay? He asked.

"Fine." she replied shortly.

She stepped sideways and began walking away from him, and away from the flying broomstick.

"Wait, I asked for your name." he called.

Kaelix turned slightly to look back at him.

"And do you always get what you ask for?" she said, a little more harshly than she'd intended.

When he didn't say anything in return she turned and continued once more down the street, leaving him to stare after her. She shook her head to clear it and pushed all thoughts of him and his flying broomsticks out of her head as she returned to her search for a place to buy a wand. She passed many new shops that she hadn't seen yet. One of which was Eyelopes Owl Emporium, as she walked by she heard a soft 'hooting' from inside, then a screech and someone yelling. "No don't- those mice are for sale Arwin, they aren't your dinner! No, BAD OWL!" she laughed softly to herself at the image of a shopkeeper struggling with a large owl trying to keep it from eating pet mice and kept walking.

The street, she noticed, was significantly emptier now than when she had arrived earlier that day. Though it was still quite busy, she no longer bumped into someone every time she tried to avoid bumping into someone. And those who remained were very edgy. Some jumped as she walked by, others cast threatening looks at her over their shoulders. But they were all hurrying to get done as if they didn't want to be there any longer than they absolutely had too.

Kaelix was just about to turn around, thinking she was so near the end of the Alley that she must have missed seeing the wand shop, but she was so intent on her search that she didn't see the boy headed right for her. Apparently he took no notice of her either because they knocked shoulders half way across the street. Kaelix almost lost hold of one of her bags but managed to maintain her grip and resume walking. She was several more paces across the street before she felt someone grab her shoulder.

"Hey." She heard a male voice say as she spun around and took a step back, not knowing who was after her attention. "I think you owe me an apology." Said the same voice.

Kaelix faced a haughty looking boy with blonde hair and a smirk. He was standing a few paces off from her with his arms crossed in front of his chest and an expectant look on his face. She stared at him blankly, an apology, was he kidding himself? People scurried all around them, some cursed at the 'kids' standing in the middle of the path, while others silently moved to walk around them. The silence between them lingered only a little while longer before he spoke again, and when he did it was the same drawling voice as before, but this time he spoke slowly as if he were explaining the rules of hide and seek to a seven year old.

"For running into me." He sounded somewhat condescending but she thought she saw a bit of mischief in his eyes.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"What, do I not look serious to you?" he asked with a smile that only added more mischief to his expression..

"No," She said catching on to his game, "no, not at all."

"What?" he said with mock disbelief.

"You look about half as serious as a clown." She said playing along.

"See now that just hurts, I was being completely serious. So now I think you owe me two apologies." he said.

"Well the way I see it you owe me two as well, so you could say that we're even." she explained.

"And how do you figure that?" he asked.

"Well it takes two to collide so I'd say you owe me an apology for that and then you went on to begin this conversation without even introducing yourself. How am I to apologize if I don't even know who I'm apologizing to?"

"You have made an excellent point, I've been extremely rude."

"I'm certain your mother would be ashamed."

"She would probably disown me."

"I'm surprised she hasn't already."

"Have some mercy, we've only just met. How can we get along if you're so cruel?" he asked.

"Technically we still haven't met, and not at all if you're as self important as you seem." she countered.

"Do you think I'm too arrogant?"

"Truly?" she asked playfully, but then she paused for a moment holding his gaze. "No. No, I think you're guarded which is why you seem arrogant, so as not to appear vulnerable to anyone."

He looked taken aback by her answer.

She shook her head with a small laugh, "but what do I know, we haven't even really met yet."

"Well then," he stepped closer to her and offered his hand, "I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, and you are?" There was something in his eyes that she almost recognized, something that felt familiar, but she wasn't sure what it was. She took the offered hand.

"Williams," she answered, imitating him, "Kaelix Williams."

"Williams? I don't recognize that name." He said, looking at her curiously now.

"Well you will now. Is there anywhere around here I can get a wand? It's the last thing on my list and I'd like to be on my way." She tried to distract him from any questions he might ask.

"What, bored of me already?"

"Yes, ages ago. Now kindly direct me to a shop that sells wands and all my suffering won't have been in vain." she added with a mocking smile.

"Your suffering? I've just spent the last while talking to a first year, how do you think I'm doing?"

"Oh I'd say you're holding your own, but just barely."

"Are you this kind to everyone you meet or is it just my lucky day?"

"Oh no, normally I'm much more spiteful and sarcastic; you must have caught me on an off day."

"I'd like to see that."

"What?"

"You spiteful and sarcastic."

She furrowed her brow, "have you been here for this conversation?"

"Yeah I have actually," he nodded. "And on the spiteful and sarcastic scale I'd say you're probably somewhere around… warm and fuzzy?"

She narrowed her eyes a bit. "Warm and fuzzy, huh? You couldn't handle anything more than that."

"Wanna bet, Williams?"

She paused. "I don't gamble. The wand shop, Malfoy?"

"Maybe you should." He said with a smirk.

Then he raised a hand to indicate a place somewhere behind her. She turned slightly to see and at first she couldn't tell where he had pointed but then a sign caught her eye. It read; Ollivanders: Makers of fine Wands since 382 B.C. The letters were gold and peeling off of the hanging wooden sign above the shop. It looked small and quite old, like it really had been around since 382 B.C.

"Thanks." She turned and quickly made for the shop.

"I'll see you at the start of term then?"

"You might" she called back without looking. She adjusted her course to cross the street, the quicker she got her wand, the quicker she could get out of there and away from all the people. As she entered she heard a small bell and the ring seemed to travel very far. She looked back out to see if Malfoy had followed her but he was nowhere to be seen. She watched the hustle and bustle of the thinning crowd for a moment and her mind wandered. There had been something almost familiar about him. As if she knew him somehow even though she was certain they had never met before. It was faint but still, it was there. And it made him easy to talk to.

She looked down thinking that Draco Malfoy might make for an interesting classmate. Her eyes traced a purple cushion on which a single wand lay in the windowsill. A shiver went down her spine. It was a scary thought, that something so simple could hold so much power. Power that could destroy. It looked plain enough, made of slick brown wood and recently polished. Who would know that it contained the potential to do any harm to the world?

Kaelix turned and looked around the small shop. It was empty except for a small spindly chair near the door, which Kaelix filled with her shopping bags.

"Good afternoon." a soft voice said to her right.

She turned slightly to see whom it belonged to. Behind the old wooden front desk of the shop stood an elderly looking man in dark blue robes.

He offered his hand; "it's nice to meet you, Miss..." he trailed off indicating that she was to finish for him.

She looked down at his hand. He was old; his fingers were thin and looked as if they could easily be broken. Nice to meet me, she laughed to herself, he doesn't even know me.

Her gaze returned to his face and without taking the offered hand she finished his sentence, "Miss Williams."

He lowered his hand and his bright blue eyes studied her. It was a few moments before he spoke again. "Well, Miss Williams, have you come to buy a wand?" he asked in his soft almost vacant voice.

Kaelix bit back all the sarcastic responses that came immediately to mind, and settled with nodding curtly in response. Mr. Ollivander turned quickly and disappeared behind tall shelves and Kaelix didn't even know if he'd seen her answer. Upon the shelves sat several boxes that looked to be roughly an inch tall and two inches wide, from where she stood Kaelix guessed that she could see well over five hundred boxes. From the looks of it the shelves continued on deep into the shop that she had initially thought to be small and cramped.

Mr. Ollivander returned with a box in hand and a small smile across his lips.

"Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance." he began as he opened the box and took out the slender piece of wood. "We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, phoenixes, or people are the same. Here you are try this one. Maple and phoenix feather, seven inches, quite whippy." he held it out for her to take. "Go on just give it a small wave."

Kaelix took the wand from him hesitantly. As she touched it she almost let it drop to the floor, it was cold. But with tense muscles she grabbed it, making sure not to drop it, and then gave it the smallest of flicks. Nothing happened.

"Not to worry," Mr. Ollivander said as he snatched the wand away so quickly Kaelix almost jumped, "it always takes at least two tries if not more." he discarded the wand onto the end of his desk and left to go find another. When he returned he had several boxes in hand. He set them all down on his desk and opened the top one and handed it to her.

"Beach wood and unicorn hair, ten and a quarter inches, springy. Try."

Again the wand felt ice cold to the touch and Kaelix doubted it would work, but she tried waving it a little, feeling a bit like an idiot. Mr. Ollivander snatched the wand back, placed it with the other that she had tried, and immediately held out another for her. "Willow and dragon heartstring, ten inches, rather swishy." he said as she tried again.

But she had barely moved it when he took that one back as well, discarding it with the others. He smiled slightly, "going to be tricky." he said almost to himself, and was it her imagination or was there a bit of excitement in his voice.

He continued to pull wand after wand off the shelves and have her try them, some were completely lifeless in her hand and did nothing, and some were so full of life they shot out at random things and made unbearable noises. The more wands that they went through and the more useless Kaelix thought the whole thing was, the happier Mr. Ollivander seemed to get, smiling, laughing, and talking to no one in particular. Was this man's life really so boring that when it was hard to find someone a wand it excited him. It was as if he were a kid trying to figure out a puzzle, so many pieces but only one of them would fit here, with her.

After Mr. Ollivander put out a fire that was set by a particularly temperamental wand, Kaelix began to wonder if it would ever end. What if they went through the whole shop and none of the wands were right, none of them fit with her. Maybe because she wasn't right, she was never supposed to be here. That would be rather remarkable, she thought, a witch without a wand. She tucked a strand of her long dark hair behind her ear and looked up to see if Mr. Ollivander had another wand for her to try but his eyes were searching her face, studying her closely instead of looking for another box.

"I wonder..." he whispered and Kaelix couldn't tell if he was talking to her or himself. Then his eyes stopped searching her and went glassy as if he were deep in thought. "Yes..." he said to himself. He looked to be contemplating something, something that took his full attention. Then suddenly his eyes snapped back to focus on her and widened like he had just remembered something very important.

The stepping stool that he stood on to reach the higher shelves creaked slightly as he stepped down onto the ground. His eyes had returned to normal size now but he hadn't moved his gaze from her face. He walked forward to his desk, and Kaelix wished that he would look elsewhere. His penetrating blue eyes gave her the feeling of transparency; he could see right through her barriers and read her like an open book. Her thoughts, her movements, nothing escaped his fathoming gaze.

"It has been sometime," he began slowly, "since it has taken so long to find the specific wand that is looking for a customer. Perhaps..." he did not finish his thought aloud, but simply acted. He tore his gaze from her and looked instead at a drawer of his desk. Reaching inside his robes he withdrew his own wand, gave it a small wave and muttered something that Kaelix could not discern. He then opened it.

Slightly intrigued Kaelix leaned onto her tiptoes and looked over the desk at the open drawer trying to distinguish its contents. Laying in the drawer was a single long slender silver box, it looked just like the thousands of other boxes stacked throughout the shop that contained wands. Except this box had a good thick layer of dust on it, which made it appear as though it hadn't been touched in many years. Mr. Ollivander changed that though, when he removed the box, closed the drawer, and blew the dust off, filling the room with the subtle smell of an old attic. Kaelix almost sneezed as some of the dust went up her nose and made her eyes water.

Mr. Ollivander however seemed unaffected by the dust now occupying the room with them. He slid the lid off the box to reveal a very dark colored wand. Without a word he held it out for her to take and she did so without question. When she took hold of the wand she was surprised, she had fully expected it to be cold to the touch just as all the others had been. But this wand was different it sent a wave of warmth that spread from her fingertips to the tips of her toes. As with all the other wands she waved it in a small circle a silver mist emitted from the tip of the wand and sparkled sending a shiver down her back. It shined illuminating the room slightly before it dissipated.

"What is it made of?" she couldn't help asking. Kaelix met Mr. Ollivander's gaze, waiting for an answer. There was something in his eyes, a question, curiosity, fear. She couldn't tell which, maybe it was all three.

"That wand is rigid," he said but his voice was different from when he had described the other wands, it was no longer soft but hard and almost sharp, "Nine inches in length, it is made of ebony and contains one hippogriff tail hair."

Kaelix blinked. Hippogriff?

"You mean unicorn."

He shook his head slightly and said, "no, the core of that wand is a hippogriff's tail hair."

"But you said-," Kaelix started.

He held up a hand to silence her. "Ollivanders was founded by my ancestors in 382 B.C. when they opened they had a stock of wands that were made with dragon heart strings, phoenix tail feathers, and hippogriff tail hairs. However hippogriffs are very dangerous creatures and back then not too easy to find, so only twenty-seven Ollivander wands were ever made with hippogriff tail hair. They switched to unicorn hair after too many were injured, it's more expensive but not as dangerous or hard to find. Twenty-seven wands with a core from the same hippogriff differing only in length and wood. One mahogany, one willow, one beachwood, one maple, one ebony, and well you get it, right. All different on the outside but connected through their core. It is the wand that chooses the wizard, or in this case the witch, Miss Williams. And that wand is the last of those twenty seven, and it has chosen you."

Questions sprung up in Kaelix's mind, the loudest of which was screaming why me? If this wand was so special and had been sitting in that musty old drawer for centuries why did it choose her? It was special, it had meaning, why did it choose her of all people to be its owner. There was nothing special about her, she was cursed maybe, but not special.

"That will be eight Galleons." Mr. Ollivander's voice broke into her thoughts.

Kaelix absentmindedly took out the pouch of money that Dumbledore had given her still thinking about the wand's history. She counted out eight of the gold Galleons to pay for the wand- her wand.

"Miss Williams?"

Her wand.

"Miss Williams?"

Kaelix jerked out of her thoughts, "what?" she asked.

He arched one of his white eyebrows at her and eyed her questioningly before answering, "would you like me to wrap it up for you or are you going to carry it out?"

"Oh," she realized that she was still holding her wand out in front of her slightly. "You can wrap it up." she held it out to him. He took it and returned it to its box quickly wrapped it in brown paper and returned it to her.

"Have a good day," he said as she was turning to leave, but before she could think about it a question slipped out of her mouth.

"Mr. Ollivander, you said that this wand, my wand was the last of the twenty-seven to be sold?"

"That is correct."

"Well," she paused, should she really ask. "Were you the one that sold them, all twenty-seven?"

He seemed to think before he answered as if not sure of what to say.

"Miss Williams I remember every wand I ever sold as well as every customer. I'm sorry to say but that is only the fifth wand that I have a memory of selling myself. The others though, I have heard many a story about. The first fifteen went sometime between the year 300 and 415 not much is known about them because that was before we kept track of our customers. The sixteenth wand went over three hundred years later, sometime in the year 755. The seventeenth went in 976, the eighteenth went in 1177, the nineteenth in 1301, the twentieth in 1442, the twenty-first in 1672, and the twenty-second went in 1753. The twenty third was the first that I sold, it was when my father was teaching me how to run the store in 1920, I sold the twenty-fourth in 1959, and then the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth both went just twenty-three years ago in 1970, and now the last of the set, the twenty-seventh has gone to you. So ends the stories, but not the mystery.

"The old stories, myths rather, tell of the wands and how they only chose special wizards and witches. Those that wield these wands are said to be somewhat removed from the rest of the wizarding world, though no one is quite certain how. And so it is assumed that the remaining wands waited until similarly unique owners would come forward to claim them. There isn't much to prove the stories are anything more than just that. The wand chooses the wizard Miss. Williams. Perhaps these wands are just particularly picky in who they choose," he arched a white eyebrow before turning to go into the depths of the shop where he could not be seen.

"Who did you sell them to?" She asked.

Mr. Ollivander stopped mid-step and then slowly turned to face her, his eyes searching. He had questions but he did not ask them. Whether it was because he did not want to or because so many years had taught him that not all questions are meant to be asked, she did not know. His eyes were narrowed and for a second Kaelix thought that he might yell at her and tell her to leave his shop but he did nothing of the sort, in fact when he spoke his voice was quite calm.

"The first that I sold went to boy by the name of Michael O'Conner, who as I understand it, met a rather unpleasant end. The second went to a a girl, her name was Alexandra Fuhrmann. I have never heard what became of her after school. The third went to a young woman by the name of Katherine Holstein. She was a nice shy girl. I believe that she became an Auror, but I'm not quite certain. The fourth went a week later to a young man. He was rather outspoken and quite the troublemaker at school I believe. And as for what happened to him after school, he did not make good choices. Now the fifth has gone to you, and only you can determine its legacy."

It was silent for a few moments and Kaelix did not think that Mr. Ollivander was going to explain, she opened her mouth to ask but he gestured over her shoulder with his hand. She turned to see what he was pointing at; it was a sign, a wanted sign. It read; Have You Seen This Wizard? Above a picture of a very shabby looking man. Kaelix thought he looked somewhat like a skeleton with hair because of the color of his pale white skin and the hollows in his cheeks. But one thing betrayed the fact that he really was alive; dark eyes were staring straight ahead emotionless black holes. Below the picture there was a small red box that contained a warning; Approach with Extreme caution! Do not Attempt to use magic against this man!

"He committed the ultimate crime. He went to Azkaban for it where he resided for twelve years. About a month ago he broke out. Sirius Black is one of the most dangerous wizards alive. Your wand, Miss Holstein's, Mr. O'Conner's, Miss Fuhrmann's, and all the others are brothers of his wand. It's strange the way these things happen. Good day Miss Williams."


	3. Luminescent

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. The Firebolt description is taken directly from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 4._

* * *

The wind howled outside as it whipped around the train that had been traveling steadily northward at an unwavering, if not increasing, speed since precisely eleven o'clock that morning. Over the past hour or so Kaelix had noticed the light beginning to fade from the overcast sky, signaling that they were traveling well into the evening. The lanterns above the luggage rack had flickered to life of their own accord some time ago to combat the fading light. Her attention drawn, she investigated the light source briefly, thinking it odd that it didn't appear to be hooked up to a power source. After a moment of wondering she concluded that they must have been triggered by magic. Obviously, she thought after her conclusion.

Not particularly in the mood to socialize, Kaelix had chosen a compartment near the end of the train that had been empty. She remained its only occupant and was undisturbed for the entire ride so far, save the pleasant elderly lady that came by with the lunch trolley. She was grateful for the peace and quiet, it allowed her to breathe. She'd spent some of the ride investigating her textbooks a bit more, transfiguration seemed intriguing, divination seemed like a joke and she thought she might regret having chosen that class. But her favorite so far was the potions book. It was the most familiar to her, with different recipes and instructions for creating potions, it was almost like a regular cookbook, almost.

After reading another recipe that required eye of newt she closed the book softly, ready for a break from all of the overwhelming information that still seemed like it belonged in a fairy tale land and not in her reality. She traded her potions book for her sketchbook and turned to a blank page. She paused for a moment, trying to think of what to draw. Then settled on a topic that seemed all too perfect, the potion ingredients that she'd just been reading about. She filled a few pages with newts, worms, and other things from the recipes, forgetting for a bit where she was and focusing only on the lines on her paper.

She had always carried a sketchbook with her, for as long as she could remember. She filled it with all sorts of things; people, buildings, animals, and sometimes even things from her imagination. It was enchanting to her, trying to get just the right line, just the right shape, just the right shade to create something from nothing. She'd never taken any lessons before, her ability was developed over the years with practice and study.

The flickering lanterns distracted Kaelix and her attention was diverted from the severed beetle carcass she had been working on. She began to wonder again just what she had gotten herself into. Accepting an invitation on a whim from a slightly eccentric looking old man didn't seem like a very smart thing to do. Although after walking up and down the cobblestone street of Diagon Alley and boarding a train from a platform that was concealed within a solid stonewall, Kaelix was having a hard time doubting his story at all. The whole thing, if not real, was either a vivid hallucination or an elaborate hoax. The former did not seem likely because Kaelix was not prone to hallucinations and the latter seemed even less likely because there was nothing to be gained from it.

A thunderclap sounded unusually loud outside, and that's when Kaelix noticed that the normal sounds of the train were beginning to fade. It was slowing down. Finally, she thought looking out the window into the night for some sign that they had arrived. No light penetrated the darkness of the clouded night and she couldn't make out anything except the slightest movement just outside her window, something was very close to the still moving train. She leaned forward in her seat and looked more intently trying to discern a shape. There it was again, for a fleeting moment, Kaelix could make out a hooded figure passing by the window that somehow seemed to be even darker than the night itself. But as quickly as she had seen it, it was gone. She blinked, on the edge of her seat now, and continued to look out the window in case it went by again.

Suddenly the screeching of the train's brakes ceased and as it jerked to a stop Kaelix was thrown from her perch to the floor of the compartment where she landed with a small thud. Not the most graceful way to stop, but she wouldn't have thought it particularly strange except that as soon as she stood up the lanterns extinguished themselves, plunging her compartment and the rest of the train into the same impenetrable darkness that was outside. Kaelix wondered for a fleeting moment if they were having engine trouble, but she shook her head at the ridiculous thought. Given that this was supposed to be a magical train, how could it possibly break down?

Kaelix looked toward the door, but it was almost impossible to see her hand an inch from her face, let alone a door that was nearly six feet away from her. It was hopeless, there were no longer any light sources on the train and the moonlight had long since been obscured by the storm clouds outside. It was so dark that a cat would have been lost. Kaelix remained still, wondering what she should do. There was a chance that this was just part of the normal routine of the magical train, having never taken this trip before she couldn't be sure what normal was, but something about it just didn't feel right.

It was as if the light had taken the warmth with it when it went out. The air was growing colder and colder by the minute and Kaelix was certain she would be able to see her breath by now if she could see anything at all. She listened intently for any sound that would indicate what was happening outside her compartment, but the eerie quiet that had taken over the train seemed to drown out the sound from the storm. It was the loudest silence she'd ever heard, and if she didn't know any better she would think the train was abandoned.

Her head snapped back toward her compartment door when a small muffled sound drew her attention. Almost simultaneously, a brief flash of light was granted to her by the thunderstorm still raging outside, and in that instant of visibility she saw the door to her compartment sliding open. Thunder rumbled along through the night, chasing after it's partner in a race it would never win, all the while it was pitch black in the compartment once more. Kaelix didn't need any light to know that there was someone, or something, standing in the now open doorway. The already frigid air turned impossibly colder, tainted with the smell of death. Kaelix felt as though the air was frozen in place. It hit the back of her throat like a suckerpunch when she inhaled, the iciness making it difficult to breathe. It was as if the presence in the doorway was sucking the very life from the room and replacing it with nothing but coldness.

For a moment all was silent and still, Kaelix didn't dare make a sound. She wondered briefly if whatever had opened the door had moved on but the still freezing temperature of her surroundings suggested otherwise. Another flash of lightening illuminated the unknown figure before her and confirmed her suspicions; the something hadn't left. From the brief glimpse that the lightening provided, Kaelix could tell that if the figure had at one time been human, it was something different now. It was tall and foreboding, taking up the entire doorway with it's hooded silhouette. It was cloaked in long black robes almost entirely concealed, but with a second flash of light Kaelix saw the exposed hand that still remained on the door. It looked like flesh from a corpse that had been long since dead, shrivelled from lack of blood flow, reduced to nothing more than skin clinging to couldn't possibly be routine, could it?

The silence was finally broken by a muffled explosion, sounding like it must have come from outside. Her heart rate quickened and she listened for any indication of the other students on the train. She heard screams, shrieks of surprise and terror that were muffled just as the explosion had been, but then they grew clearer, sharper. They were loud enough to be on the train now, in the corridor just beyond the hooded figure. Then she heard laughter, crazed laughter so loud that it seemed to be in the room with her.

She felt the icy air around her compress, threatening to suffocate her. She couldn't see it but she knew the figure was moving into the compartment, toward her. She heard more screams and then a young girl's voice was yelling 'Stop it! Please, stop it!'. And then a gruff grown man's voice, 'How dare you speak to me that way, you ungrateful little bitch.' A shiver went down her spine, that voice was familiar, she knew that voice. She also knew that it couldn't possibly be here, there was no way. The figure's presence was still pressing on her, forcing her to take a step was definitely not routine.

The little girl's voice came again and she knew what it would say before it said it. "Please, we'll go straight up to our room, we won't make a sound, I promise." Kaelix heard crying and then the man's voice came again 'Oh, you won't make a sound. You don't even belong here. you're not helping anyone, I should just get rid of you.' There were even more voices now, most of them were screaming and they drowned out the little girl and the angry man. They were in her head, assaulting her mind. She closed her eyes and wished for it to end. It was too much, the living corpse before her, the icy air surrounding her, the voices screaming relentlessly. It was a nightmare that she couldn't wake up from. Her breathing was coming in heavy gasps now and she'd broken out in a cold sweat. She prayed for it all to end, she wished the screaming would stop, the air would warm up, and the monster would vanish.

Then, as if by sheer force of will, the room began to warm up. In fact the temperature was increasing so quickly that she was no longer sweating from the cold but from the heat instead. The heat made her light headed and she stumbled back until she reached the window for support. She pressed a hand against it to steady herself and was both surprised and relieved to find it was still quite cold. The heat continued to build, and the room, which had been deathly cold only moments ago, now seemed to be a furnace. She pressed her back to the window trying to absorb it's coolness into her overheating body but seconds later it shattered beneath her fingertips. She grabbed for the wall of the compartment and discovered that it too was still freezing cold.

She opened her eyes to see if the figure had retreated and was surprised at how well she could see. The entire compartment was illuminated by some kind of silver lightsource that had formed in front of her. The figure was still there but seemed to shy away from the light which was slowly growing in intensity. The screaming voices had begun to fade as well and Kaelix removed her hands from the wall. As she lowered her hands she glanced at them, they appeared to be glowing in the light of the mysterious silver mist that had formed. But then she did a double take and realized that they weren't being illuminated by the light source, but rather they were illuminating the light source. Kaelix's eyes widened and she examined her own hands as if they were foreign to her.

They were emitting an otherworldly glow that seemed to feed the mist in front of her. She turned her hands over to examine the back and saw that a pattern had appeared. Her nails glowed with near blinding intensity and from them stemmed an intricate pattern that weaved it's way across her skin. Her hands began to shake, and she touched part of the pattern on one hand, and tried to rub it off but she couldn't. The light was inside her skin. Frantically she pulled back her sleeve and saw that the light continued up her forearm and disappeared beneath the top of her shirt sleeve. At this point she wasn't sure what was more terrifying, the mysterious hooded figure that seemed threatening or her suddenly luminescent skin. Though it appeared that the figure was shying away from the mass of light that had formed in front of her so for the moment she was thankful for it.

Another dizzy spell washed over her and she grabbed for the wall to steady herself again, closing her eyes to combat it. Though even with her eyes closed she could tell the glowing mist was intensifying to the same near blinding level that her own skin was emitting. Cold night air whipped in through the broken window but the heat and screams were still stifling her. Just when Kaelix thought she might pass out, she felt a wave of cold wash over her and pulse outward, extinguishing the light and the screams as it went. Her breathing was still labored and though the voices had stopped screaming she could still hear the echoes of their pain ringing through her head. She blinked her eyes open to find herself in darkness once more, her skin no longer glowed, the mist had dissipated, and somehow she could tell that the figure had moved on and her compartment door remained open.

She slid down to the floor, slightly dazed and found herself shivering again. The compartment itself was not cold but she was freezing. The room had gone from burning up and sensory overload to freezing cold and numbing in less than a second. No, not the room, she thought, her body. The window and compartment wall had been cold to the touch while she felt like a sauna; the room had been cold the whole time. She pulled her knees to her chest and put her hands in her armpits trying to warm herself. With a million different possible questions the only thing she kept thinking was, is that how.. was that … magic?

She sat on the floor for several minutes trying to warm herself up and process what had just happened. But she had no idea where to even begin. She had too many questions and no answers. The only thing she felt certain of was that figure, whatever it was, was not friendly. The echos of the screaming voices faded from her mind and she was surprised by how quiet it was around her again. Had everyone on the train been approached by a figure as she had? Were they all as dazed and disoriented as she was now? After a few moments of silence in the darkness she heard the smallest little clicking noise and then lights began flaring back to life, one by one. Her breathing had steadied and her body warmed enough to return the feeling to her fingers, though in the light she noticed they still had a tinge of purple to them and she was still shivering.

She heard more nondescript noise and looked up to see that the broken window appeared to be putting itself back together. She pulled herself up off the floor to examine the work the train had done to fix itself. She reached out a hand and gently touched the now flawless surface that had been in several thousand pieces mere seconds ago. For a moment she stood in awe of just how magical that was.

There was a loud whistle and simultaneously the train lurched into motion once more, almost putting her off balance but she managed not to fall over this time. They were back on course as if nothing had happened. Maybe that was routine after all, she thought, and if that was the case, she wasn't sure she ever wanted to take this train again. There were muffled voices coming from the next compartment over and they reminded her of the muffled voices she'd heard when the figure was in her compartment. She decided to investigate, she at least wanted to find out what that thing had been and why it seemed to assault her.

She crossed the compartment and peered down the corridor, wary of the possibility that more of the cloaked figures could be on the train but reasonably sure that they had all gone prior to the lights returning. Nothing; not a single soul occupied the train corridor except her. Though she could still hear voices, they were too quiet and too muffled for her to make out what they were saying. She contemplated knocking on the door to see if they knew anything more than she did, but before she could decide what she wanted to do the compartment door slid open.

She took a step back and quickly examined the man that emerged from head to toe. He appeared very tired and he was scruffy, in need of a shave. His robes were quite worn out but his eyes were alert and locked onto Kaelix as he closed the door. A flash of recognition crossed his features but was quickly replaced by slight confusion. They stood in silence for a moment while each analyzed the other; the look of puzzlement never leaving the man's face.

"Are you… alright?" he asked hesitantly, making Kaelix feel as though it wasn't the question he truly wanted to ask.

"Fine," she replied shortly, dismissing his perplexed look and unspoken question. "What was that hooded thing that came onto the train?"

"It was a dementor, one of the guards of Azkaban." His voice was steady and sure but his eyes still held a hint of confusion and seemed to be focused elsewhere, he looked on the verge of asking a question.

"The prison?" she thought aloud, remembering her conversation with Ollivander. "What was it doing here?"

"It was searching the train for Sirius Black."

It was Kaelix's turn to look confused. "Why would an escaped prisoner be on board a school train?"

"I think it was more of a precautionary search." He replied.

"Is that a routine thing around here, menacing hooded figures attacking students?" she asked.

"No, it's not. And menacing they may be but they weren't here to attack the students."

"Could've fooled me."

"Dementors lack the ability to regulate the effects that their proximity has on people, but believe me that is nothing compared to what would happen to Black if they find him."

Kaelix nodded, unsure of what else to say, his tone left little room for argument. She had a lot of questions but she had no idea how to ask them or who this man even was. She didn't want to invite any question from him by asking her own but she wanted to know more about the dementor. Before she could decide whether to ask him anything, he interrupted her thoughts.

"I'm sorry but may I ask, what is your name?"

Kaelix hesitated for a moment, taking in his expression. It was curious and relaxed but his eyes were still focused intently, awaiting her reply.

"Kaelix," she said. "Kaelix Williams."

He blinked and the intensity in his gaze was finally gone, but his curiosity was not. He did not recognize her name but he had thought that he would. Then he gave her a weak smile.

"I'm Remus Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, nice to meet you." He extended his hand.

She took it and managed a small polite smile in return, knowing that it wasn't as 'nice to meet' her as he had been hoping. A shiver went down her spine and she hugged herself a little tighter to stave off the chill.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "Dementors can leave you a bit drained. Here have some of this." he pulled something out of his pocket and offered it to her.

She recognized the smell almost immediately and shook her head, "I can't."

"Please, I insist. It will help you feel better." he urged.

"No, I can't. I'm allergic." she explained.

His brow furrowed, "Isn't that a rather rare allergy?"

She shrugged, "somebody has to be the person who makes it rare."

He gave her another weak smile and returned the chocolate to his pocket.

"Are we almost there then?" Kaelix asked.

"I was just about to go and ask the driver, but I can't imagine that it will be more than a half hour,"

Kaelix nodded and then turned back toward her compartment, leaving the man to be on his way. Standing just inside the closed door she had another thing to contemplate; who had he thought she was before learning her name? She shook herself from her thoughts and her eyes settled on her sketchbook where it had been left on the seat. Before her thoughts could fall back into things she still didn't understand she took her seat and let the world fall away again as she continued to fill pages of her sketchbook, adding a foreboding hooded figure to her collection of monsters.


	4. Fine Dining and Casual Conversation

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

After she became absorbed in her drawing once more, the remaining time passed by quickly for Kaelix. It seemed like only ten minutes had passed when she noticed the subtle slowing of the train and the soft squealing of the brakes. Her dementor wasn't quite finished but it would have to wait for another time. She packed her sketchbook back into her trunk and, as instructed earlier, left all of her belongings on the train; trusting that they would make it safely to wherever she would be staying.

The corridor of the train was loud and full of life now, a stark contrast to a short time ago when it had been devoid of any signs of it and occupied by dangerous prison guards on the trail of a fugitive. There was hardly any room to move in the over crowded walkway; progress toward the exit was slow going and more than a few toes were stepped on in the tight space. As Kaelix observed the atmosphere of the students around her, although they didn't appear outwardly shaken by the dementor, she could sense a bit of unease hanging in the air.

Before she even exited the train she heard a booming voice above the chatter of the crowd. Upon exiting she could make out exactly what the voice was saying, it was calling to all the first year students. She hesitated, unsure of whether she technically fit that criteria. The absence of all the students' luggage was scarcely noticeable on the small landing, though it was highly appreciated.

"Firs' years this way." Called the booming voice once more.

She decided it would be best to start there, the Old Man hadn't been completely clear on her situation but the simple fact was, this was her first year. There were more students heading away from the voice than toward it, making the trip a bit challenging. Most of the other students heading the same direction as her looked like they were the youngest of the crowd, they also looked the most in-awe of their surroundings. Kaelix could now see a very tall man, well over seven feet, with worn looking clothes. His long shaggy hair and beard looked as though they hadn't been combed in years. He continued to call out to the first year students that hadn't yet gathered around his enormous frame. But when he saw Kaelix standing a head taller than the rest he stopped and his face contorted a bit in confusion.

"An' who might you be miss? Yeh look a tad too old ter be a firs' year." He said, and then slowly a look of realization crossed his face. "Oh, yeh must be Kaelix. Dumbledore told me ter keep an eye out for yeh, said yeh might not be sure where ter go." He was nodding as he remembered his instructions. "Well he told me ter tell you ter follow the older students and ride in the carriages up ter the castle. No sense in going in the boats with the firs' years when you aren't one." He laughed.

Kaelix cocked a slender eyebrow in question, castle? Boats, carriages, and a castle, was this a school or an amusement park? He was definitely friendly, this big man, but she did not know what he was talking about.

The man noticed her look of uncertainty and proceeded to explain. "The firs' years here get ter ride across the lake in the boats before the sortin' ceremony. But the older kids, well they don't need sortin' so they just ride up to the castle in those carriages right over there." He pointed somewhere over Kaelix's head in the general direction she had come from. "Just climb in, any ol' one'll due yeh just fine. Go on now before they've all gone up to the castle."

The big man went back to calling out the remaining first years that still had not made their way to him yet. So Kaelix turned around and began making her way back across the small landing. The crowd had thinned out a bit during their exchange, although, some might consider it a moment of instruction rather than an exchange; Kaelix had not said a single word. But time had passed and the older students had made their way to the carriages, leaving more maneuvering room for those that still remained.

Slowly Kaelix approached the area where the remaining older students seemed to be gathering to wait in the rain for an open carriage. Beyond the platform and crowd of students, was a muddy track and on it stood at least one hundred horse drawn carriages. Though upon closer inspection Kaelix realized that they weren't normal horses; their skin was black and clung to them like wet clothing to skeletons; they had velvety black wings drawn close to their bodies; and when one turned it's head toward her, she saw white glowing orbs staring back. She gazed with interest at the slightly disturbing yet magnificent creatures that most on the platform seemed to ignore. Each carriage was pulled by a pair of the creatures, who moved gracefully despite their lanky and awkward appearance.

She watched them for a bit longer, admiring the air of intelligence they emitted and how each movement seemed deliberate, no wasted energy. Her thoughts were interrupted by the complaints of an impatient student.

"Can't these bloody carriages go any faster? It's pouring."

Now she realized just how wet she had gotten from the rain. By now there wasn't much point in hurrying along but she proceeded toward the nearest open carriage. Once she climbed inside she was surprised to see someone she knew.

"Well, well, look who we have here." he said with a smirk.

There were only two people in the entire school she would recognize and she just happened to get into a carriage that contained one of them, what were the odds?

"You might want to sit down before we start moving." he added.

She took the empty seat next to him as a shrill voice called his name from outside the carriage.

Kaelix glanced sideways at him and saw a look of disgust cross his features, "you going to answer that?" she teased.

"Not if I can help it." Just then the carriage started moving. "Finally. So tell me, why aren't you taking a boat across the lake with the rest of the first years?"

"Oh, I'm terrified of water."

"How on Earth did you make it through the rain then?"

"Sorry, it's the boats actually."

"Pardon?"

"The boats, I'm terrified of being in a boat on the water. I heard about what happened to the Titanic and that was it for me, no more boats."

"The Ti-what?"

"The Titanic." His look of puzzlement remained so she elaborated, "the unsinkable ship that sank in the North Atlantic in 1912, have you never taken a history class?"

"You're joking?" he asked.

She opened her mouth to reply but hesitated, her attention drawn by a familiar chill sending a shiver down her spine. She turned and saw that they were approaching an iron gate with a dementor stationed on each side. She was slightly intrigued by them, these monsters that seemed to suck the very life out of the air around them. She wondered how they came to be, had they once been human or were they something else entirely? As they neared the gate she could hear faint muffled screams, similar to what she'd heard on the train. They grew a bit louder and then that laughter again; high, cold and cruel, just as before but she heard something else there too, was it sorrow? Defeat?

"Williams?" Malfoy asked.

She'd previously thought that most of the screaming had come from the other students on the train, but as they faded from her mind she realized that they hadn't come from a person at all. Was that the effect that Professor Lupin had referred to on the train, when you got too close to a dementor they filled your mind with crazed screams? And were those the screams of past victims that they had already driven to insanity?

"It really did sink." She said, watching the dementors disappear as the carriage finally passed through the gate, "The boat, after it hit an iceberg, I'm afraid of those too."

"You cannot be serious?"

"What," she gave him a grin, "do I not look serious to you?"

He smirked back at her "about half as serious as a clown. So I guess I am seeing you at the start of term after all."

"Unless you've gone tragically blind in the last few weeks and recognized me with some mysterious sixth sense just now."

He gave a small laugh, "do you ever just simply answer a question?"

"Do you care this much about the Q&A habits of all the other students, or just the ones you can't keep up with?"

"Just the interesting ones, the ones who provide a challenge."

They paused for a moment, silently sizing each other up. Then Kaelix broke the standoff.

"So do they speak or are they just here for decoration?" she asked, gesturing toward the other two carriage occupants who had neither moved nor spoken since she'd entered.

"They're not very good at either, actually. That's Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle." He gestured to each without looking away from her, "This is Kaelix Williams." he said to them.

"Pleasure." she said, they each gave her a nod in return.

Malfoy scoffed, "just wait until you've actually tried to have a conversation with one of them."

"I can't imagine it being any worse than having one with you."

"And you think you're a joy to talk to?"

"Actually, Joy is my middle name."

"Don't be ridiculous." he said, almost laughing.

"I'm not," she said with complete seriousness, "that really is my middle name."

The smile faltered on his face, "oh - er - I didn't… what I meant was…" he broke eye contact and suddenly seemed a bit flustered.

He looked up at her again and found her smiling, "what's that for?"

"You totally bought that." she was almost laughing now, "you should have seen your face."

"Joy isn't your middle name, is it?" he tried to scowl at her but he found it difficult to keep his lips from turning up in a smile.

"Nope."

"So what is it then?" he asked as the carriage came to a halt.

"Oh look, we're here." she said, avoiding the question.

She stepped out of the carriage with the laugh still on her features but it quickly faded as she caught sight of the castle for the first time. She stopped in her tracks without even realizing as she craned her neck to take in the entirety of the structure. The entrance was made up of two enormous and intricately carved wooden doors. Beyond that her eyes traced brick and mortar, which formed towers that seemed to extend all the way to the sky. The tower walls were broken up by windows lit by the flicker of flame. As her gaze reached the sky she saw a few owls circling a particular tower, some entered and some departed. Her eyes traced the structure back down and she had to remind herself to breathe. It looked like something straight out of the fairy tales that Ms. Adams used to read to her class. It looked... magical, she thought.

"Williams," she was torn from her thoughts by Malfoy's voice, "are you going to stand out here gawking in the rain all night?"

Kaelix turned to face him, her tongue ready with a sharp retort but his attention was already directed elsewhere. She followed his gaze to a round boy who was talking nervously with a few other students on their way up the stone steps. He looked back behind Kaelix to where the carriages were unloading with glinting eyes and an almost gleeful grin. She watched as he moved across the steps intent on intercepting someone, Crabbe and Goyle flanked him like two oversized shadows. Kaelix followed but remained a few steps behind.

"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? you actually fainted?" He pushed past a bushy brown haired girl to block the way up the steps.

Kaelix was surprised to see the second person she recognized in this school full of strangers. His raven colored hair and bright green eyes were unmistakable. He'd given her his name, H-something. Henry?

"Shove off, Malfoy." Another boy said, he was taller with red hair and freckles.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" Malfoy asked, addressing the redhead. "Did the scary old dementor frighten you too, Weasley?"

"Is there a problem?" a mild voice asked. Remus Lupin had just emerged from the next carriage.

Malfoy looked the professor over with an impertinent stare, he saw the shabby robes and the small dilapidated suitcase and seemed less than impressed by the man. "Oh, no- er- Professor." He said sarcastically. He smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and then toward Kaelix as well, looking proud of himself.

She didn't return the smirk and instead watched the three other students. As they moved past Kaelix made eye contact with the boy from Diagon Alley. She still couldn't recall his name, Harvey? Or maybe Harley? But now his attitude was much colder toward her than it had been in the Alley, he glanced between her and Malfoy with a look of disdain and suspicion.

"What the hell was that about?" she asked.

"Just a bit of fun with Potter and his Weasel. I heard Longbottom saying Potter fainted when the dementor got on the train." He joined the rest of the students moving up the staircase into the castle.

"Why would you make fun of someone for that?" she asked walking beside him.

"Because it's pathetic to be scared by a dementor. And because it's Potter." he said as if were obvious.

"Are you trying to say that you're not the least bit afraid of those things?"

"Those things don't scare me."

"Then what does?" she challenged.

"Nothing," he said coming to a halt again. "I'm not afraid of anything." he added with emphasis.

"Everyone's afraid of something. But if you can't even admit it, well, then you must be downright terrified." she was holding his gaze, daring him to challenge the truth in her words.

"Miss Williams, over here please!" A woman's voice called above the rest.

Their gazes remained locked for a moment longer before she turned and left him to follow the voice. He watched her go with a scowl across his features. At the edge of the crowd of students swarming through a second pair of great oak doors she saw a stern looking woman watching her expectantly. As Kaelix made her way through the crowd she looked around at the cavernous entrance hall. One of the most noteable things was the magnificent white marble staircase that she assumed led to the upper floors of the enormous castle. She caught a glimpse of an enormous hall with four long tables through the second pair of doors. Students were slowly filling up each of the four tables and a fifth table at the far end of the hall was already almost entirely occupied by adults that Kaelix could only assume were other professors.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," the elderly woman said with a small smile.

Kaelix gave a polite smile in return and noticed the two other students waiting there as well. It was the raven haired boy, Potter as Malfoy had referred to him, and the bushy haired girl that had been with him on the steps.

"My name is Professor McGonagall and I am the Transfiguration teacher. Follow me." She led the way across the entrance hall and the three of them silently followed her up the marble staircase and along a corridor.

Once they arrived outside her office she motioned the other two in, "have a seat, I will be with you in a moment." She turned back to Kaelix and motioned her to follow again.

They continued on a short distance down the hall to another door that Professor McGonagall opened, "Professor Dumbledore will be with you in a moment."

Kaelix gave a nod of acknowledgment and entered the room. A quick glance around the room gave her the impression that it used to be a small classroom but it looked as if it hadn't been used for years.

"Hello Miss Williams, I'm glad to see you made it here safely." Professor Dumbledore said entering the room. "We've just a few things to attend to here." he set an old shabby looking hat down on a dusty desk.

"Hogwarts is made up of four houses. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. For the remainder of your time here the house you are sorted into will be like your family. The Sorting Hat," he gestured to the old shabby looking hat that he'd brought with him. "Will sort you into your house, all you have to do is put it on. Normally our first year students are sorted in the Great Hall in front of all the other students, but I thought you might not want to go through that seeing as you are a bit older than most first years and that may draw some unwanted attention. Shall we?"

Kaelix gave the hat a skeptical look but after what she'd already seen she wasn't the least bit surprised. Professor Dumbledore picked the hat up and placed it over her head. As it sunk down almost over her eyes she wondered how a hat was supposed to 'sort' her into a house.

"Oh, you doubt me do you?" a voice said in her ear.

Of course it was a talking hat, a mind reading talking hat.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. I can see what you're made of, your character, and tell where you belong. So, let's see… Oh, you're a little different aren't you, Kaelix Williams? And a little late, it's your first year here but you are a third year aren't you."

Kaelix was a little impressed and also a little concerned, how did it possibly know so much about her? And why did she keep hearing that she was different, first the Old Man, then Mr. Ollivander, and now a hat was telling her the same thing, could it be a coincidence?

"Oh, I have my ways but you needn't concern yourself with that. Now where to put you, where to put you? Many relatives in Slytherin I see, relatives in many places actually. But no matter, this is about you and for you it has to be… Gryffindor!" The hat yelled the last word to the room.

"Very good." said Professor Dumbledore as he whisked the hat off of her head.

He handed it to a short wizard who had appeared in the doorway and immediately disappeared with it down the hall.

"Now that we have that taken care of." Professor Dumbledore said. "We have another matter to discuss."

Kaelix's first thought was the incident with the dementor on the train but she waited for him to speak.

"After giving it a great deal of consideration, I thought it best to keep you in classes with students your own age. So, you will be joining the other third years in their daily classes. However, in order to catch you up on those things you will have missed from first and second year classes you will have a few additional private lessons each week. I still need to sort out the details with the professor but I hope you'll be able to start with him next week at the latest."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "I believe that was everything, do you have any questions?"

She almost shook her head no but then she did think of something, "the hat, it said I had relatives in all the houses. Does that mean my parents went here, my real parents?"

"Not necessarily, though it is quite possible." it had not been a confirmation but there was something Kaelix sensed, something unspoken that led her to believe she was right, and it was that same feeling that compelled her to ask her next question, "Did you know them?"

"Sadly, no. I did not know either of them." he answered solemnly.

Even if she was right in thinking they had attended school here, it was absurd to think the headmaster would remember two students out of the thousands that must have come and gone over the years. But she still couldn't shake that feeling, even if he didn't know them he knew more than he was letting on.

"Kaelix, I want you to remember something while you're here. It is our choices, our actions, that define who we are. Where you've come from and how you got here contribute in their own way but neither are as important as what you choose now." He paused a moment and then his serious expression softened. "Come now or we shall be late for the feast."

He led the way out the door and down the corridor where they found Potter waiting outside Professor McGonagall's office.

"Ah, Harry wonderful to see you." Harry? Who names their kid Harry? Kaelix thought. "Kaelix would you mind waiting here and returning to the feast with Harry and Hermione? I'm afraid I have another stop to make on the way. Enjoy the feast." He smiled and disappeared down another corridor.

"So you're in Gryffindor then." Potter said more as a statement than a question.

"How did you-" he gestured to her robes, she looked down and saw that where there had previously been the school crest, now was a red and gold house crest complete with a roaring lion. Her neutral black tie had also been changed to be striped red and gold.

"You shouldn't hang out with Malfoy and his lot, they're no good."

"What?" she asked.

"Just stay away from the Slytherins, the whole lot of them."

"Excuse me?" she couldn't believe he was trying to order her about, he didn't even know her.

"Look, I'm not trying to tell you who you can and can't be friends with, it's just-"

"Actually, I think that's exactly what you were saying, do I need your permission to eat sweets and stay out late on the weekends too?"

"No, that's not what I meant-"

Just then the bushy haired girl that Kaelix assumed to be Hermione emerged from the professor's office looking quite pleased about something. Professor McGonagall emerged next, she gave a small nod of approval to Kaelix when she noticed her house robes. The four of them made their way back down the large marble staircase toward the second set of oak doors.

This time Kaelix got a much better view of the hall. It was a sea of black pointed hats with each of the long tables full of students. There were thousands of candles floating above the tables in mid air, casting the glimmer of firelight onto the students faces. Higher still was a ceiling, only it didn't appear to be a ceiling at all, it reflected the night sky so well that Kaelix expected rain to fall at any moment. A few people looked around as they passed by and pointed at Potter, but for the most part their late entrance went unnoticed. Up at the end of the hall, as the cheering died down a final time, the tiny wizard who had retrieved the hat from Professor Dumbledore earlier was now carrying it and a small stool out of the hall.

"Oh," Hermione whispered to Potter, "we've missed the Sorting."

Kaelix followed the other two toward their table, they sat down on either side of their red headed companion, Weasel, who had saved them seats; and Hermione ordered those next to her to make room for Kaelix too. She accepted the seat next to Hermione without protest as there wasn't any room elsewhere, and Hermione didn't seem so bad.

"What was all that about? And what's she doing here?" he muttered to Potter.

"Ron, don't be rude!" Hermione scolded him.

Harry opened his mouth to explain but just then the headmaster rose to speak and he stopped to listen.

"Welcome! Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts!" He began smiling. "I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before we become befuddled by our excellent feast...

"As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business. They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave the school without permission. Dementors are not fooled by tricks or disguises, or even invisibility cloaks." Kaelix noticed Potter and his friend exchange a glance and wondered if they had an invisibility cloak. "It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore want each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects and our new Head Boy and Girl to make sure that no students run afoul of the dementors." He paused here, looking around the hall very seriously and not one student made a sound. Even Malfoy, who she spotted at the table across the hall, seemed to be taking heed of his words.

"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our staff this year. First, Professor Lupin who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Dumbledore gestured toward Professor Lupin and some scattered applause rose in the hall. Though a few at her table, Potter included, clapped earnestly for him. The new Professor looked particularly shabby next to the other teachers in their best robes, and he looked weary, like he hadn't had a proper night's sleep in ages.

"As to our second new appointment. Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid who has agreed to take on his teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties." Dumbledore gestured toward the large man that had been calling the first years on the platform, now he was wiping his eyes on the table cloth.

This time applause broke out confident and loud, especially at the Gryffindor table, lasting much longer than it had for Professor Lupin. Kaelix glanced toward him to see what he thought of the giant getting more applause than he, but he wore a genuine smile and clapped politely with the rest. His eyes were roaming the crowd now, perhaps sizing up his new students. When he found her he paused for a moment and there it was again, that flash of recognition followed by a furrowed brow. Dumbledore spoke and Professor Lupin looked away.

"Well I think that is everything of importance. Let the feast begin."

The golden plates, bowls, and goblets before them were suddenly filled with food and drink. Chatter immediately filled the enormous hall while everyone filled their plates and discussed their summers. The teachers conversed pleasantly at the high table, except for one. Kaelix noticed a professor with greasy black hair, jet-black robes and a hooked nose silently eating, exchanging no conversation with anyone. At one point he'd looked straight at Kaelix, but unlike professor Lupin his gaze had not lingered. She caught Malfoy's eye briefly but he scowled and turned away quickly. What the hell was that about? she wondered. Looking around she noticed each table had it's own groups of friends huddled together gossiping and exchanging summer break stories. Kaelix noticed a pair of particularly giggly girls at her own table only a few seats away. The closest one glanced at Kaelix then turned back to her friends laughing even harder. Kaelix rolled her eyes and turned her attention back toward her plate.

"Don't mind them," Hermione said, "most of their vocabulary is made up of giggling."

"Oi, now can you explain what she's doing here, wasn't she with Malfoy on the stairs earlier?"

"Ron!" she scolded again, he glared back while chomping on an oversized bite of steak. "I'm sorry, what he lacks in table manners he also lacks in all other forms."

"He's a Slytherin, Hermione." said Weasel through a mouthful of half chewed food.

"I am perfectly aware of Malfoy's house assignment, but it seems to have escaped your attention that she has been sorted into Gryffindor with us."

"Ron's just trying to say if you're in Gryffindor you shouldn't be hanging out with Malfoy." Potter chimed in.

"Do you actually have a reason that I shouldn't be or do you just get off on telling other people what to do?" asked Kaelix.

"He's a Slytherin." Weasel and Potter said in unison as if that were enough of an explanation.

"Unless Slytherin is also a code word for psycho killer in addition to a house name then I don't really see the problem. I also don't see why it's any of your business."

"Look, I tried to tell you before, all of Slytherin house is bad. The whole lot of them, but especially Malfoy. We're just trying to help." Potter said irritatedly.

"Last I checked ordering someone about wasn't considered helping, it was considered tyranny. Irregardless, I don't remember asking for your help, and certainly not for your orders." Kaelix shot back at him.

Hermione opened her mouth to interject but stopped when the hall went quiet. At the high table Professor Dumbledore had risen to his feet again.

"Now that we've all filled ourselves with food and each other's news, it is time for bed."

All at once everyone rose from their seats and began moving towards the doorway. Kaelix moved quickly away to avoid another lecture from Potter and followed the mass of her fellow Gryffindor students out the large oak doors. They went up the marble staircase and from there the path they took winded, twisted, and turned but Kaelix managed to keep track all the while. At one point they entered a room with hundreds of marble staircases that moved of their own accord. Some of the group was separated from the rest when one of the staircases decided to move while they were still on it. After they climbed at least half a dozen of those they went behind a tapestry and down the corridor beyond. Finally they stopped where a slight crowd had already gathered. From where she stood near the back she could see a large portrait of a rather large woman in a pink dress.

"Coming through, coming through!" A voice called from behind the crowd. "The new password is 'Fortuna Major'!"

The portrait swung open like a door and Kaelix heard someone mutter "oh no" in an exasperated tone. The crowd moved into the common room through the small hole behind the portrait. Once inside the crowd parted in two; the girls went one way and boys headed the other. Kaelix followed a few girls up a spiral staircase. Golden letters on the first door said Seventh Years, the next read First Years, and after that it was Second Years, and then finally Third Years. Kaelix stopped and opened the door to find the room empty of any other students. She looked around and noted the five four-poster beds, each with a trunk at the foot. The closest trunk to her right had the initials LB on the end, the one next to that had the initials PP The one at the end of the room was printed with KW, which Kaelix recognized as her own. The two remaining trunks, she noticed as she crossed the room to her bed, read HG and RN.

Kaelix quickly changed her robes and lay down on her bed with the curtain drawn. She heard footsteps and voices enter the room. They were laughing with light conversation. After a few moments of talking, she heard springs creak and sheets rustle. They all said goodnight.

"Wait." She heard someone, whispering now as if afraid of being heard.

"What Parvati?" Said a second, slightly irritated voice.

"That trunk" Parvati, the owner of the first voice whispered. "Has it always been there? I thought that bed was empty."

"Parvati, what are you-" The third voice stopped. "You're right I've never seen that trunk before. What are its initials?"

"K.W." Parvati's voice replied.

"Strange. I don't know anyone by those initials." Came the third unidentified voice again.

"Nor do I." The second voice said.

"Why don't you just ask her yourselves in the morning." A voice she recognized chimed in.

"You're so boring sometimes Hermione. Goodnight." Parvati said.

"Goodnight." The other three replied.

Kaelix listened, wondering how they would react to her, and not just them but the whole school. The Old Man had said that most everyone came to Hogwarts as a first year after their eleventh birthday, so just how unusual was it for someone to just show up at thirteen like she had. She'd already gotten questions from Potter and his sidekick, how many more questions would be thrown her way tomorrow? Kaelix lay awake for a time thinking about how the next day would go. She heard a clock somewhere strike the midnight hour before she finally fell asleep.


	5. Expiration Date

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

_Where'd she come from?_

_She can't be trusted._

_Why is she here?_

_She doesn't belong here._

_Who is she?_

_She's not one of us._

Kaelix was surrounded by a sea of hazy indistinguishable faces that were exchanging whispers about her. She tried to talk to them but she couldn't get her mouth to work. She felt nervous, the crowd surrounding her was becoming more and more agitated. Suddenly, a hush fell over the dimly lit room and the whispers turned to a dull hum. A figure stepped forward from the rest of the crowd; Kaelix's breath caught in her throat and her stomach churned. This face was crystal clear and she knew exactly who it was.

"How could you?" the boy asked quietly, though his words echoed on as if he screamed them.

She still couldn't speak. The dull hum of the crowd began to grow.

"How could you?" he asked again, louder this time.

All she could do was stare as the voices of the crowd continued to grow. They were all asking the same thing now,  _How could you?_  Over and over again they demanded an answer.  _How could you?_  A fire erupted at the boy's feet and Kaelix gasped.  _How could you?_ Her heart was racing and she could feel the heat from the flames.  _How could you? How could you?_ They spread quickly up, burning fast and hot.  _How could you? How could you? How could you?_  
  
"How could you?!" the boy shouted as he was engulfed.

Kaelix jolted upright in her bed, breathing hard, heart pounding, the boy's words echoing through her mind.

Just a dream, she thought, taking a deep breath to steady her shaking body, or a nightmare, rather. It had been a long time since she'd seen him in her dreams, even longer since she'd really seen him. How could she? How dare he haunt her sleep with his accusing questions when she was the one that had left her all alone. How could he?

Kaelix drew back her curtain slightly and found light pouring in through the window near her bed. With the voices from her dream still echoing through her head, Kaelix got out of bed to prepare herself for her first day of classes. She managed to make it all the way back down to the Great Hall for breakfast where she received her class schedule from Professor McGonagall. Divination with Professor Trelawney, Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, and Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Hagrid. Kaelix had to read it at least ten times to imprint it over the memory of her dream.

"Divination, top of the north tower can you believe it?" someone was saying.

Kaelix scooped one last bite of food into her mouth before she got up to follow the other students. She followed a few paces behind a small group of her fellow Gryffindors heading toward the north tower. They climbed over half a dozen staircases including a tight spiraling one before emerging on a rather small landing where most of the class was already gathered. Kaelix looked around the tiny landing and hoped that they weren't having class right there in the empty space but there didn't appear to be any doors leading elsewhere. Though they were at the top of a fairly narrow tower so really the only direction to go would be… There, plain as day in the center of the ceiling was a round trap door with a small plaque on it. Someone else had just noticed this as well and read the inscription aloud.

"Sibyll Trelawney, Divination Professor." Said a somewhat familiar voice.

Kaelix turned to see who had spoken, hoping she was wrong. Please don't let it be Potter… she thought, looking toward the origin of the voice. But there he was, standing on the opposite side of the landing from her, with Weasel and Hermione. Did they go everywhere together?

 _Damn_. She'd been hoping she wouldn't have to endure another session of 'Who you can and can't talk to' but the odds were already against her and it was barely nine in the morning.

"How're we supposed to get up there?" he asked.

Then, as if it had been waiting for someone to voice that very question, the trap door suddenly opened and a silver ladder descended straight to his feet.

"After you." Weasel said grinning.

He shrugged and then proceeded to climb up the ladder, followed by his friends, most of the class and eventually Kaelix. As soon as she crossed the threshold of the room she was hit with a sickly sweet sort of perfume and almost choked. The room was hardly any larger than the landing they came from but it was filled with several small round tables surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. It didn't feel or look like any other classroom she'd ever been in before, although this was her first class at a magic school, but judging by the looks on the faces of those around her, this room was strange even for them. It appeared as though someone had merged an attic full of old furniture and an antique tea shop.

Everything was lit by a dim, crimson light; curtains were drawn across all the windows and each of the many lamps in the room were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm due to the large fire that was burning below the mantelpiece that was crowded with incense. The shelves along the perimeter of the room were crammed with dusty looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless crystal balls, and a huge array of tea cups.

Whispers had already broken out among the students filling in around Kaelix.

"Where is she?" Someone asked.

Again as if waiting for someone to voice that very question, a voice came out of the shadows. It was a soft, misty sort of voice. "Welcome," it said, "how nice to see you all in the physical world at last."

Kaelix was intrigued by the idea behind the divination class but she couldn't help but feel a bit skeptical after the overly dramatic and, frankly, cheesy ambiance that this woman was trying to create. She hoped the room was not a reflection of what the class would be like.

Professor Trelawney stepped forward into the firelight and it was all Kaelix could do to keep from shielding her eyes. A gauzy spangled shawl was draped across her shoulders, innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings; every one of them shining in one-way or another. To complete her look she wore huge glasses that magnified her eyes several times their normal size. Maybe she just had a flair for the dramatics and the class would turn out alright.

"Sit, my children, sit," she said.

Kaelix skirted the back of the room and sat down at a round table while the rest of the class climbed awkwardly into armchairs and poufs.

"Oh, you've got to be joking." Kaelix said as Potter and his friends approached her table.

"No way, c'mon Harry let's go sit somewhere else." Weasel said.

"Ron, could you at least make an effort not to be rude? Grow up and sit down, besides everywhere else is full. Sit." Hermione ordered.

He sat down with the rest of them but not without a stubborn glare of defiance directed at Hermione.

"Welcome to Divination." the professor said as she seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending to the hustle and bustle of the main school too often clouds my inner eye."

Potter leaned toward Kaelix and whispered, "I didn't follow you to this table on purpose, I didn't even know you were in this class."

Kaelix tried to ignore him, still hoping she might avoid another episode of 'Who Potter Says You're Allowed to Talk to'.

Professor Trelawney adjusted her shawl and continued.

"So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the sight there is very little I can teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field…"

Kaelix noticed Weasel grin and glance toward Hermione, who looked startled by this news.

"Many witches and wizards talented though they are…" Professor Trelawney went on.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot, can we just start over?" Potter asked.

"Why? So we can redo the part where you tell me who I'm allowed to talk to?" Kaelix asked, trying to keep her attention on what the professor was saying, something about bangs, smells, and disappearing.

"... yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," her enormous eyes were gleaming in the firelight.

"We're in the same house, we have this class together and probably others as well. It would be better if we could at least get along." he explained.

"I disagree. I have no need to 'get along' with anyone who insists on bossing me around." she shot back.

"It is a gift granted to few. You, boy," the professor said suddenly, and a scared looking boy nearly toppled off of his pouf. "Is your grandmother well?"

"I think so," the boy responded trembling.

Kaelix missed the professor's reply as Potter spoke again, "I wasn't bossing you around. Even though you're third year, you're obviously new here. I was just trying to explain how things are."

The frightened boy gulped loudly and Professor Trelawney continued on, "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to…"

"How things are, or your interpretation of how things are?" Kaelix retorted, "I don't take kindly to people who hate others for no reason."

"By the way, my dear," Trelawney shot suddenly toward a dark haired girl. "Beware a redheaded man."

The girl gave a startled look at Weasel, sitting opposite Kaelix, and then edged her chair away. Kaelix almost smiled at her reaction; Professor Trelawney certainly had them all hooked.

"Well you've chosen great company then," Potter pressed on, "Malfoy is about as prejudice as they come."

"That's rich coming from the guy who hates him just because he's in a different house."

"In the second term," Professor Trelawney continued. "We shall progress to crystal balls…"

"It's not that he's in a different house, he's in Slytherin."

"You say that like it's the devil's spawn."

"That entire house is made up of pureblood elitists and Malfoy is one of the worst."

"Harry, leave it. She obviously belongs with them if that's how she is." Weasel interjected.

Kaelix was about to reply but Professor Trelawney's words distracted her, "and around Easter or… maybe a bit later, one of our number will leave us forever." She said plainly.

This statement was followed by a very tense silence but Professor Trelawney seemed to take no notice and continued on.

"I wonder dear," she said to a girl near her. "If you could pass me the largest silver teapot."

The girl looked extremely relieved and happily fetched the enormous silver teapot from it's place on the shelf and set it down carefully in front of the Professor.

"Thank you my dear," she said as the girl took her seat again. "Incidentally that thing you are dreading – it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October." The girl trembled with a look of despair on her face.

"So far the only elitist I've seen is you with your disdain for those outside your house." Kaelix said.

"Fine, have it your way then, just know that hanging out with Slytherins isn't a popular choice with any of the other houses." He shot at her.

"Well if Malfoy does turn out to be just as much of a git as you are then I can figure that out for myself, I don't need you to protect me." She shot back with a glare to match her tone.

"Now I want you all to divide into pairs." Professor Trelawney was saying now.

"I wasn't trying to prot-" Potter started.

"Will both of you be quiet, she's giving us instructions now." Hermione snapped and Potter fell silent.

"Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the drags remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait till the last of the tea has drained away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh and dear," she added to the same frightened boy she had addressed earlier. "After you've broken your first cup would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."

Kaelix was intrigued and watched as the boy crossed the room to retrieve a teacup, the moment he reached for one of the pink ones there was a small crash of broken china. Professor Trelawney wasted no time; she swept over with a dustpan and brush.

"One of the blue ones then, dear, if you wouldn't mind. Thank you." She said quietly.

Kaelix shook her head, wondering if Professor Trelawney had really known that boy would drop her teacup or whether she had simply noticed his nervous fidgeting and taken advantage of the opportunity. It seemed that all of her 'foresight' was somewhat vague and inherently suggestive, would the boy have broken the cup it the professor hadn't planted the idea in his head?

Kaelix rose from her seat to retrieve and fill a teacup for herself. Moments later Potter and his friends returned with their own cups of scalding hot tea. Kaelix gently blew at her tea to cool it down a bit but when she took a tentative sip she instantly regretted the decision. The searing hot tea burned her tongue on contact and she instinctively pulled back while a shiver went down her spine. She sucked air in trying to soothe her burnt tongue and silently cursed herself. The others were still blowing on their cups, attempting to cool the still steaming liquid. As she glared down at her offending beverage she noticed that it was no longer giving off any steam.

Reaching out she tested the drink again, though this time with her finger. It was no longer burning hot, in fact it wasn't warm at all, it was nearly ice cold. She wondered what had caused the temperature to change so quickly as she lifted the cup again and began sipping. Most of the other students in the room had done similar to Kaelix and burned their tongues on their first attempt, and some on their second and third attempts as well. Many were still trying to cool their tea by simply blowing on it and she couldn't help but smile inwardly at the situation. Here she was sitting in a room full of witches and wizards but not a single one of them had thought to cast a spell to cool their tea. Her smile faded as a thought occurred to her; was that what she had done to her own cup without even knowing it?

When the last of the tea had been drained from her cup, Kaelix took the small handle with her left hand and swirled the dregs three times just as instructed. She then turned the cup upside down over the saucer to drain the very last remnants of liquid.

"I'll be your partner." Hermione said, gently sliding her cup across the table.

Kaelix passed her own cup across to Hermione who eagerly took it and began pouring over her textbook trying to discern some kind of pattern in the mush of sodden tea leaves. Kaelix opened her copy of Unfogging the Future to pages five and six and was surprised by how many different shapes were shown, each with their own short description of their meaning.

Kaelix pondered the potential shapes in Hermione's cup, trying to determine if anything matched up well enough with the ones shown in the book. As she turned the cup she saw the vague impression of a book, with another turn she saw part of cat, then the impression of a cross, and another turn revealed an eye. Kaelix recalled the feeling of itchy grass beneath her as she lay on her back looking up at the sky trying to pick shapes out of the clouds the same way she picked them out of the tea leaves now.

_"_ _Look there, that one looks like a dog!" she said._

_"Nah, it looks like a horse." he said._

_"A horse, how is that a horse?" she asked._

_"Well, it's not a normal horse, it's got scales like a dragon and teeth like a tiger. You have to use your imagination more." he explained._

_"How do I do that?" she asked._

_"It takes practice, but mostly you look at what's there and then you imagine what's not there that would make it better." he said._

_"Like the scales and the teeth?"_

_"Mhm, like the scales and the teeth."_

She had looked long and hard at that cloud far up in the sky, and after a few minutes of an intense unblinking stare she saw the dragon scales and tiger teeth. She shook her head and turned to her divination book, trying to push the old memory from her mind. All of the patterns and symbols in the book were clearly defined, easily identifiable, and nothing like what she saw in the cup. There were, however, a few vague shapes that could be considered matches with an open mind.

The easiest one for Kaelix to match was the cross, it was a bit crooked but it was there and the book listed it's meaning as 'trials and suffering'. The only other one that she could justify as a 'match' was the impression of an eye she'd seen. Consulting her book she found that the eye was representing the art of divination also known as the 'inner eye'. So she was going to suffer in divination? Kaelix looked up at Hermione who was still alternating between pouring over the teacup and textbook muttering to herself and looking a little frazzled. Recalling Weasel's snicker and Hermione's subsequent look of panic when Professor Trelawney announced that books would only take them so far in this field, Kaelix thought perhaps the omen in Hermione's cup was correct; she certainly seemed to be suffering at the moment.

She kept watching Hermione, trying to make out what she was muttering to herself. Hermione brushed a piece of her wavy brown hair away from her face and Kaelix caught her next words. "That could be a mountain I suppose, which means…" she turned to her textbook, "either 'many obstacles' or 'tremendous power'. This is nonsense." her eyes shifted back to the teacup and Kaelix continued to listen. "This sort of looks like... a club, no, no it looks more like a cross, no not really… a blob of wet leaves, it looks like a blob of wet tea leaves, this is ridiculous."

"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane." Professor Trelawney cried.

Kaelix rolled her eyes, the over dramatic antics of the professor were making it even more difficult to take this already skeptical class seriously.

"Oh brother," Hermione muttered, still hovering over the cup.

She turned it slightly to the right.

"That bit there almost looks like a key?" She consulted her book. "A key means 'unveiling mystery', well that could mean anything. This class is insane." Hermione looked up, distracted by her two friends as they tried to stifle laughter.

Kaelix didn't care what was so funny to the boys, she was more interested in what Hermione had seen in her cup, curious that it might have some truth to it. A mountain: many obstacles or tremendous power, it could be the first meaning referring to her being behind in classes. A key: unveiling mystery, well she certainly had been learning many things since she first met the Old Man. And maybe a club or a cross: either an attack or trials and suffering, she had no idea what that could be referring to.

Kaelix heard Potter snort and an agitated Professor Trelawney said, "Let me see that, my dear." She'd snatched up Potter's teacup from in front of Weasel and was staring intensely into it as she rotated it counter clockwise. The whole room was silent in anticipation; all attention focused on her.

"The falcon… my dear, you have a deadly enemy."

"But everybody knows that" Hermione said in a loud whisper, making very little effort not to be heard. "Well they do" she said when the professor had given her a blank stare.

"Everybody knows about Harry and you-know-who."

Well, not everyone, Kaelix thought. She watched the professor return her attention to the cup. Professor Trelawney had, evidently chosen not to respond. A quick glance at some of the other students' expressions told her that they seemed to know who the 'you-know-who' was that Hermione was talking about. Kaelix immediately thought of Malfoy and how Potter had tried to tell her he was no good. Malfoy couldn't possibly be this deadly enemy they were all thinking about, could he?

Professor Trelawney continued her reading of the cup, "the club… an attack. Dear, dear this is not a happy cup."

"I thought that was a bowler hat," Weasel said.

She continued without acknowledging him, "the staff, danger in your path, my dear." It was silent for a few seconds as professor Trelawney turned the cup once more, then gasped and let out a small scream causing the rest of the room to break out in a clamor of exclamations and questions. Kaelix heard another smash of breaking china but didn't turn her attention away from the Professor, wondering what the woman had seen to cause such a reaction.

Professor Trelawney sank down into an empty armchair, her glittering hands held over her heart and her magnified eyes closed behind her glasses.

"My dear boy… my poor, dear boy… no it is kinder not to say… no… don't ask me…" she moaned.

"What is it, Professor?" Someone asked at once.

Everyone began rising from their seats and crowded around the table to see what was in the cup.

"My dear." Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened in, what she clearly hoped was, a dramatic way. "You have the Grim."

"The what?" Potter asked.

Kaelix had the same reaction as Potter but nearly everyone else clamped their hands over their mouths, eyes wide with horror.

"The grim, my dear, the grim." The Professor cried as though the name itself should be enough of an explanation.

Potter's confused expression remained and Professor Trelawney looked shocked that he didn't know what she was talking about.

"The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen- the worst omen- of death." She delivered the explanation with as much grandeur as she could muster but Kaelix could sense her exasperation at having to explain the omen, as if it detracted from the impact of it.

Kaelix looked at Potter and was a bit surprised to see that shock and horror filled his eyes as he stared into the cup across the table. Even though he and Weasel had spent most of the class cracking jokes and stifling laughter, it appeared as though he believed the omen was true.

"I don't think it looks like the grim" Hermione said.

Professor Trelawney looked her up and down with growing dislike.

"You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonations of the future."

"It looks like a grim if you do this." A boy said with his eyes almost completely shut. "But it looks like a donkey from here." He said leaning to the left.

"When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not." Potter exclaimed.

Now no one was looking at him. Kaelix had to hand it to Professor Trelawney, whether there was any accuracy in the tea leaf omens or not, she had managed to put on enough of a show, planted just enough evidence in their minds to convince them that this omen she saw would, without a doubt, come true. Kaelix couldn't help but wonder if there was any kind of a timeline attached to the omen, of course he'd die eventually, everyone in the room would, but how soon did the omen imply. Not that Kaelix lacked all faith in divination just yet, Hermione's cup seemed to be accurate, but she wasn't completely sold on the belief that everything this woman predicted was destined to come true.

"Is there some kind of experation date on this omen?" Kaelix ventured.

Potter turned her way, a sour look still on his face.

"I beg your pardon, my dear?" turning to fix her magnified eyes on Kaelix.

"Is he in the clear if he makes it to the end of the week? perhaps the month? or even the year? How long until his death is no longer attributed to this one omen, ten years, twenty? If there's no implied timeframe then, technically speaking, that omen is true for anyone and everyone in this room."

Professor Trelawney didn't respond immediately, instead she took a moment to look Kaelix up and down with a scrutinizing gaze as if trying to learn everything about her with a single look.

"Even if the omen did reveal the exact time of death, I would not burden anyone with such information. As it is, the art of Divination is not as easily defined as other subjects, the omen signifies that death is looming over him, it is close, much closer than the eventual passing of all mortal beings." She finally replied, never moving her gaze.

"So, since the art of Divination is not so easily defined then how do you know that it's his own death that's looming close, couldn't it be the death of someone close to him, maybe even that deadly enemy of his you mentioned earlier?" Kaelix could see Hermione smiling in approval out of the corner of her eye, though the rest of the class still looked convinced that Potter would drop dead at any second.

"Undefined as it may be, the art of reading tea leaves dates back for centuries, it is a time tested art and omens refer solely to those who drink the tea from the cup being read." She sounded a bit annoyed by Kaelix's questions, but continued on, "I think we'll leave the lesson here for today," she said, adding a thick layer of mistiness to her voice to hide her irritation, "yes… please pack away your things…" with that she withdrew to the back of her classroom, no doubt preparing to mystify another class with her fortune telling antics.

The room was silent except for the clink of china and the rustle of books and bags as the class packed away their things. Everyone was doing their best to avoid eye contact with Potter, who still seemed to be in a bit of shock from the Grim. He and his friends packed their things away quickly and were among the first to exit the classroom, but not before Professor Trelawney bid them farewell.

"Until we meet again, fair fortune be yours. Oh and dear you'll be late next time so mind you work extra hard to catch up."

Kaelix took a bit more time collecting her things, not at all disappointed that she'd managed to escape Potter's company for the time being. She made her way to the ladder and looked back at the now empty classroom wondering if every class would be as strange as this one had been. Pulling her bookbag a bit higher up on her shoulder, she began descending from the room. With her mind occupied by her previous class and thoughts of trying to locate her next class, she didn't notice the slight movement of the ladder. She released her hold on the ladder as she stepped for the ground but her stomach lurched when her foot didn't find the floor where it should have been. Before she could regain her balance or grab the ladder again she tumbled to the floor, landing hard on her leg.

She let out a grunt of pain.

"Merlin's beard, are you alright dear?"

Kaelix looked up just in time to see the last bit of the ladder retract through the trapdoor and Professor Trelawney appeared looking down at her through the hole in the ceiling.

"I'm fine." Kaelix answered.

She could already feel the bruise forming on her knee and hip from the fall but she could tell nothing was broken.

"That was quite the tumble Miss Williams. I only wish I could've stopped you before it happened." She added dramatically. "Are you sure you're alright? Maybe you ought to go see Poppy, just to be sure."

Kaelix stared blankly up at the professor. Poppy? She wanted her to go visit a flower?

"What?" she asked.

"Madame Pompfrey in the Hospital Wing. Honestly, my dear, are you sure you didn't hit your head when you fell?" Professor Trelawney asked.

Kaelix rolled her eyes, this woman is irritating.

She slowly rose to her feet, carefully testing her weight on her sore leg. Soft footsteps began to echo up from the spiral staircase that led down to the main castle.

"Now what am I to do? It's evident that you need to be escorted to the Hospital Wing…" Professor Trelawney muttered to herself. "But I have a class to prepare for…"

The echoing footsteps grew louder. Kaelix would have told Professor Trelawney again that she was fine and she didn't need to go to the Hospital Wing to see Madame Poppy or whatever her name was but she didn't think it would make a difference.

"Ah excellent, I shall ask Mr. Malfoy to escort you." Said Professor Trelawney, sounding proud of herself for coming up with a solution.

The echoing footsteps had stopped and Malfoy was standing at the edge of the landing.

"Excellent, Mr. Malfoy, perfect timing. Would you be so kind as to take Miss Williams to the Hospital Wing? She doesn't seem to know where it's located." Professor Trelawney asked, still perched over the hole in the ceiling. "Don't worry about being late for class, Mr. Malfoy, I'll excuse you from the first activity if you miss it."

"Certainly, Professor." he replied.

"Wonderful, I'm off to prepare my next class. Take care going down stairs in the future Miss Williams." She called down as she disappeared from sight, no doubt preparing to mystify another class with her mysterious entrance and somewhat lucky predictions.

Malfoy was looking Kaelix over with a scowl similar to the one she'd seen the previous night during the feast, when he caught her eye he quickly turned and began descending the staircase without stopping to check that she was following. She crossed the landing quickly to catch up, her knee protesting slightly. They descended in silence and entered back into the main castle with only the echoes of footsteps as evidence of their passing. Malfoy was walking briskly and seemed to have no interest in conversing, a stark contrast to their first two meetings. What had caused his sudden shift in behavior?

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

He gave only a curt nod in response.

"Are you sure?" she was doubtful.

"Positive." he answered without looking at her

"Alright then, I'm fine. I don't need you to escort me any farther."

"Fine." He turned around and began walking back the way they came.

"What's this about?" she called after him.

He stopped and turned back to face her, "what do you mean?"

"Why am I suddenly getting the cold shoulder?" she demanded.

"Because you're in Gryffindor." he snapped at her.

"You've got to be joking? First Potter and now you, why does it matter so much to people which house I ended up in?" she asked.

"It just does, I can't be associated with a Gryffindor. Especially one who hangs out with that no good Potter." he spat the name.

"I was not hanging out with him." she said.

"You certainly looked pretty cozy last night at the feast." he said accusingly.

Kaelix couldn't believe what she was hearing, "I was anything but cozy with him at the feast and I have no desire to be cozy with him, ever."

Malfoy's expression softened a bit, "so you don't like him?"

"Like him? I don't know if I can stand having another class with him. Believe me I'm just as disappointed at being in the same house as him as you are. And is he always such an arrogant, bossy, nosy git?"

A ghost of a smirk crossed his features. "Well, if you can't stand Potter then maybe we can still get along."

"He's just so…" she trailed off trying to find the right word.

"Infuriating?" he supplied.

"Yes, exactly." she agreed.

"He always has to be the center of attention, everyone fawning over him like he's some sort of saint."

"Why does everyone like him so much? So far he hasn't done anything to impress me."

"Because they're all idiots and they think he's some sort of quidditch star. Boy Wonder with his stupid scar." he explained.

"What star?" she asked.

"Quidditch." he replied.

"Oh."she feigned understanding, she must have still looked confused though because he went on.

"Quidditch, it's a sport, played on broomsticks, there's seven players, three different kinds of balls.. you've never heard of it before?" now he looked confused.

"Flying broomsticks? Is that why everyone in Diagon Alley was so excited about the Fire-whats-its?" she asked.

"The Firebolt yeah. It's brand new and the best out there right now. How is it you've never heard of quidditch before?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm just not that into sports I guess. Look I really don't need to go to the Hospital Wing, I'm fine. But do you think you could point me to where my next class is?" Trying to avoid any real answer to his question.

He nodded, "sure, what is it?"

She pulled her schedule out of her pocket and unfolded it, "Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall."

"That's actually not too far from here. I can show you."

"Are you sure? You're already late for Divination."

"Yeah. Besides Trelawney already excused me from the first activity anyway, it would be a shame if I got back before they finished it." He smirked as he motioned for her to follow him once more.

Harry was sitting in the very back of McGonagall's Transfiguration lesson, though it didn't prevent the other students from continuing to glance at him every few minutes as if he was going to drop dead at any moment. No one, including him, was listening to Professor McGonagall talk about Animagi, as interesting as it was for wizards to be able to transform into animals it wasn't enough to distract the students from the depressing omen he'd received during their previous class. His attention was drawn toward the door, which creaked as it swung open slowly to reveal a somewhat familiar face, it was Williams. If the class hadn't been focused on Professor McGonagall before Williams' interruption, it certainly wasn't now.

"Well, Miss Williams, how nice of you to join us." Professor McGonagall said in her stern voice but Harry noticed a softness in her expression that wasn't usually present.

Harry watched as the girl's gaze swept over the class and then settled on Professor McGonagall. She looked a bit uncomfortable and out of place standing alone in the doorway but she did not shy away from McGonagall at all.

"Although this is the most attentive the rest of my students have been all morning, why don't you have a seat, we've just been discussing Animagi." Professor McGonagall said with a small smile.

Harry didn't miss the discrete insult that Professor McGonagall had just given to the class, nor the slight easing of Williams' features and the small smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. With a slight nod to the Professor she quickly made her way straight down the nearest row and, much to his surprise, chose the seat right beside him. She immediately began shuffling through her book bag while Professor McGonagall continued her lecture on Animagi. Harry was only half listening because he was watching Williams look through her bag, she either hadn't noticed him yet or was doing a fantastic job ignoring him.

Then she suddenly stopped searching for her book and turned quickly to look at him. He heard her breath catch, and saw the subtle stiffening of her body; she hadn't been ignoring him, she hadn't even known he was there. There were so many things he wanted to say and ask but he didn't even know where to start. Not to mention every time he tried to start a conversation with her, she either left or turned hostile. She rolled her eyes and scoffed lightly as if he had somehow planned for this to happen. Her body relaxed and her face returned to the impassive state that he had witnessed during their first encounter. Before he could decide on something to say she was looking toward the front of the room.

"Really, what has gotten into you all today?" Professor McGonagall said in an irritated tone. "Not that it matters but that's the first time my transformation hasn't gotten applause from a class."

There was a subtle shifting and shuffling among the students as many of them turned toward Harry again, but no one dared to speak. Then Hermione raised her hand.

"Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class and we were reading tea leaves and-"

"Ah of course," said Professor McGonagall suddenly frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"

This time no one even turned toward him, they just stared at her.

"Me," said Harry, finally.

"I see," she said, looking directly at Harry. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues –"

Professor McGonagall broke off abruptly, and her frustration was plain in her expression. She took a deep breath before continuing on more calmly. "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney –"

She stopped again, and then said in a very assured tone, "you look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

Hermione laughed and Harry felt better after McGonagall's words. The tea leaves seemed much less threatening away from Trelawney's dimly lit and perfume-doused classroom. Not everyone was convinced though; a few, including Ron, still shot him nervous glances. He hardly noticed though because his attention was again focused on the girl in the seat beside him. Her lips had curled into the second small smile he'd seen in twenty minutes.

When the Transfiguration class ended Williams packed her things and quickly rose to leave. But, much to Harry's surprise, before she left she turned to him and said something so softly that he almost didn't catch it. "She probably picked you for the death omen because you were the first one to walk into the classroom."

After that she left so quickly that Harry didn't get a chance to say anything back. On their way to the Great Hall for lunch Hermione was trying to convince Ron that Harry wasn't going to drop dead before the first quidditch match of the season. Harry still wasn't paying much attention, he was busy wondering what had possessed Williams to make that comment as she left. She hadn't been mocking him, in fact it was almost like she had been trying to reassure him that Professor McGonagall was right and Trelawney's death omen had just been a show. But why would she be civil, friendly even, now? She hadn't shown any interest in being friends during their previous encounters, and she seemed to be falling in with Malfoy and his lot, so what did she get out of it? He might just have to find her later and ask.


	6. Consider Me Warned

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

After transfiguration Kaelix followed all of the other students down to the Great Hall for lunch. As she ate she watched some of the other students and observed their interactions. Some talked animatedly about their first classes of the year and when quidditch would begin. Occasionally an argument broke out over who would win the first match of the season, but nothing ever escalated any farther than words and empty threats. Halfway through lunch she witnessed something that piqued her interest; a younger Hufflepuff student almost jumped out of her skin after a near collision with an older Slytherin boy.

Following this observation Kaelix began to watch for more interactions between different houses and she quickly noticed a trend. While many of the students seemed to get along just fine there was a divide, it was subtle but it was there. She watched as a few young Gryffindor students chatted pleasantly with some Hufflepuffs. Then a group of older Gryffindors exchanged tense looks with equal aged Slytherins. An older Ravenclaw boy stopped to give a first year Gryffindor directions to her next class. A younger Slytherin was nearly knocked to the ground by a slightly older Ravenclaw. There were even some older Hufflepuff students sitting at the Ravenclaw table for lunch. And yet another young Hufflepuff student nearly jumped the table to get out of the way of a few older Slytherin boys as they approached.

All the students from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw got along just fine, but no one seemed to want to have anything to do with the Slytherins and vice-versa; it was like they had the plague. She contemplated this strange separation, and what could have possibly created such a rift? She recalled Potter's words, " _It's not that he's in another house, he's in Slytherin."_ Maybe it hadn't been his twisted view of things, maybe it was something more, something that extended to all the houses. The more she watched the more clearly she could see the subtle signs of friction. It seemed absurd that something as small as house assignment would cause such discord between the students. And if it was house assignment then why was it everyone against Slytherin? No, there had to be something more than that going on.

Kaelix continued to wonder at the origin of the school dynamics as she packed up her things and made her way to her next class, Care of Magical Creatures. It was nice to step out into the fresh air after being cooped up in the castle all morning. Yesterday's storm had cleared leaving the fresh scent of rain in the air, mixing with the woodsmoke from a fire that must be burning nearby. She followed the other students making their way down the sloping lawns toward the forest that bordered the castle grounds on one side. She caught sight of a large bunch of trees rustling deep in the forest and wondered what had caused the disturbance, there was no wind at the moment and whatever had shaken the trees must have been quite large.

Looking around at the other students it seemed that no one else had seen it, or at least not thought it worth noticing. The students around her were a mix of Gryffindors and Slytherins, from what she'd seen so far these were the two houses that had the hardest time getting along. She saw more harsh glares and even a few words exchanged between students from either house. It could be some sort of rivalry, she had heard mention of a house cup competition that took place over the entire school year, maybe it had something to do with that. She couldn't imagine what else would drive such a distinct wedge between school mates.

"Williams, wait up." an annoyingly familiar voice called from behind her.

Her eyes rolled in frustration, it wasn't enough that they were in the same house, but they had to have  _all_ their classes together as well.

Potter hurried to catch up to her as she heard Weasel call out after him, "just leave it, Harry." but he didn't.  _I shouldn't have said it, I shouldn't have said anything._

"So you're taking care of magical creatures too then?" he asked as he matched her stride.

She glanced sideways and gave him nod of confirmation.

"That's great and Hagrid's great. The class should be…" He trailed off.

"Great." Kaelix finished for him, hoping he would just leave it at that.

"Yeah." He said with a genuine smile, missing her slight note of sarcasm.

They walked on in an awkward silence for a bit, and Kaelix could hear Weasel whispering to Hermione behind them. It was pretty obvious that he wasn't a fan of Kaelix but Hermione wasn't having it and shut him down pretty quick.

"What made you say that, back in transfiguration, about Professor Trelawney only picking me because I was the first one up the ladder?" he asked, finally getting to what he really wanted to talk about.

She shrugged, "it was just something I thought of after Professor McGonagall said she did that every year."

"So you don't think the omen she saw will come true?" he shuffled his hands as if nervous for her answer.

"Unless you plan on becoming immortal somehow, I'm certain it will, eventually." Said Kaelix.

"You don't believe she's really a Seer, do you?" he asked.

Kaelix shrugged again, "I don't know, she could be. But even if she is I don't think any of the predictions she made during class today were real."

"Did you decide that before or after you started asking about the omen having a time frame?" he asked.

"Somewhere in the middle I guess. A death omen without some kind of a time frame is just reality, it's a pointless prediction. As were most of the others." she explained.

"So why did you even sign up for the class if you don't believe any of it?"

"I didn't know that when I signed up."

"You must be running into that a lot, coming in as a third year. Why is that, by the way? How come you've only just started school here?" asked Potter.

Kaelix emitted a sigh,  _does he ever stop asking questions…_

"My invitation got lost." she said simply.

He scoffed and she glanced sideways at him, "they put in a great deal of effort to ensure that I got my letter so I doubt yours just got lost for two years."

"You're right, I was actually in juvenile detention and they didn't allow me to receive any post."

"I doubt that too, Hogwarts letters don't come by normal post. If you actually were in juvenile detention they still would have gotten it to you. They managed to deliver mine to an island in the middle of nowhere."

"Well, I guess I'm just not as important as you are."

"Why won't you just tell me?"

"Have you considered that maybe I just don't want to?"

"Alright, fine. But I saw you at lunch, watching the other students. You can't believe I'm making it all up now, I know you saw the way the Slytherin's interacted with the rest of the students."

"I saw a few teenagers being rude to each other, that doesn't mean what you said is true. And why are you so obsessed with getting me to believe you?"

"I'm not obsessed, I'm just trying to give you some advice so you don't fall in with the wrong crowd."

"You were watching me at lunch and this is the third time you've tried to convince me that Slytherins are evil. Consider me warned and move on."

"You don't care at all that I'm trying to help you?"

"Frankly, no. I never asked for your help or your advice."

"So you're just going to keep hanging out with Malfoy?"

"I don't see how that concerns you." she snapped back.

"I just don't understand why you would want to hang out with him. From what I know about you so far, I think-"

"What you know about me? What is it you think you know about me?"

"Well, not much but-"

"No, there is no 'but'. You don't know anything about me so just stop trying to tell me what's best for me, okay."

He opened his mouth, ready with a sharp retort but then stopped

"What's wrong, Potter, upset that she doesn't want to be another member of your fan club?" Malfoy taunted, appearing beside Kaelix.

"I don't have to recruit people to like me, Malfoy, that's you." Potter said as his friends came up beside him for support.

"Eventually your little Boy Wonder act is going to get old and then everyone will see you for who you really are, a fake pathetic little half-blood who's too weak to fight his own battles." Malfoy said.

"Shove off, Malfoy." said Weasel.

"Gladly." he sneered back at them.

He exchanged a glance with Kaelix and she made to follow him.

"What did he say to you in Diagon Alley, to make you believe he's not the pretentious git he really is?"

"How dare you?" Malfoy said, turning to face Potter again but he found that Kaelix was already advancing on him.

"You followed me in Diagon Alley?" she demanded but continued without waiting for a response, "was it even an accident when you ran into me outside the broom shop or did you follow me there as well?"

"I wasn't following you."

"Then how did you know I ran into Malfoy?"

"I only followed you because I wanted to talk to you again but then I saw you with him."

"I've had enough of this, the only pretentious git I've seen is you. No more following me around, no more telling me who I'm 'allowed' to talk to, and no more watching me every chance you get. Just leave me alone." she snapped.

She walked briskly past Malfoy and made her way toward the group of students who had gathered outside a small hut. He jogged a bit to catch up to her with the smirk of satisfaction still on his face.

"Feel better?" he asked.

She glanced sideways and saw Potter and his friends gathering on the opposite side of the class as she and Malfoy had. Hermione and Weasel were saying something to Potter but he didn't seem to be listening. "A bit," she said to Malfoy.

"He's pretty thick but I think he got the message. If he tries to harass you again be sure to let me know."

"I don't need your help to deal with him." she said a bit sharper than intended.

"I don't doubt that, I just want to make sure I'm there to watch you tear him a new one." he said with a smirk.

Kaelix gave a small laugh, "deal."

Outside the door of the tiny little hut stood a man the size of two, Professor Hagrid, he was the man Kaelix had seen calling to all the first years on the platform the previous night. He was wearing a moleskin overcoat and what appeared to be beaver skin boots. His black eyes were sparkling and he looked very anxious to start. At his side was a great grey boarhound that looked as if he'd rather be sleeping.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the last of the class arrived. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

Professor Hagrid led them off, skirting the edge of the forest and after about five minutes they arrived at a paddock. It was completely empty.

"This is going to be a joke." Malfoy said rolling his eyes.

"Can't be any worse than divination, that was a spectacle of a class."

Malfoy snorted, "just wait, this great oaf can't teach anything."

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called in his booming voice. "That's it- make sure yeh can see- now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books-"

"How?" Malfoy asked in a cold drawling voice.

He had leaned casually up against a nearby tree and was still sporting his signature smirk.

"Eh?" said Professor Hagrid.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy asked again. He pulled out his copy of  _The Monster Book of Monsters,_  which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other students began taking their books out too; some had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips. No one had been able to open the book without it fighting back. Kaelix pulled her own out as it struggled against the scarf she'd used to tie it closed.

"Hasn't- hasn't anyone bin able ter open their books?" Professor Hagrid asked looking disappointed.

Everyone shook their heads, even Potter and his friends hadn't been able to leave their books unbound.

"Yeh've got to stroke 'em," said Professor Hagrid as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Look-"

He took Hermione's copy and clipped off the rope that she'd used to bind it shut. The book tried to bite but Professor Hagrid ran his forefinger down the book's spine, the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quietly in his hand.

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess that!"

"I- I thought they were funny." Professor Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione as he handed her back her book.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try to rip our heads off!"

"Shut up, Malfoy." Potter said quietly.

Malfoy sneered back.

"I thought you said he couldn't teach anything?"

"He can't."

"He just taught you how to open a book, didn't he?"

Malfoy didn't look amused by her statement.

"Do you have a problem with this professor or something?"

He snorted, "he never should have been made into a professor in the first place, he's a half giant which means he's only got half a brain."

"Are you serious? Is that why he's so tall?" Kaelix asked.

"That's why he's so dumb." Malfoy said irritatedly.

"Right then, " said Professor Hagrid not sounding nearly as confident or excited as before. "So- so yeh've got yer books an'- an'- now yeh need the magical creatures. Yeah, so I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on…" He strode away from them into the forest clearly losing his nerve.

"God, this place is going to the dogs." Said Malfoy "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him-"

"Shut up, Malfoy." Potter said again.

"Careful, Potter, there's a dementor behind you-"

"Ooooooooh!" A girl interrupted their quarrel, squealing and pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.

Trotting elegantly into the paddock were the most bizarre creatures that Kaelix had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of huge eagles. Their steal like, sharp beaks gleamed in the dull light, and their brilliant orange eyes flared proudly. The talons on each one's front legs were half a foot long looked deadly; slicing the ground as they walked as if it was butter. Each of them had a thick leather collar around it's neck, which was attached to a chain and tether cable that Professor Hagrid was holding as he came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.

"Gee up there!" he roared to hurry the creatures over to the fence where the class stood.

As they approached the entire class took a step back from the fence. Professor Hagrid tethered the creatures tightly to the fence before addressing the class again.

"Hippogriffs!" he roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"

There was something slightly hypnotizing about them after the initial shock of seeing half of a giant eagle mated with a horse's hindquarters. When the sunlight shined down through the clouds their coats gleamed, gracefully making the transition from the eagle feathers to the horsehair. Each of them was a different color; stormy gray, pinkish roan, bronze, gleaming chestnut, and inky black. Their wings flexed powerfully and their tails flicked away at flies.

"So," said Professor Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, some of his excitement obviously returning, "if yeh want ter come a bit closer…"

No one seemed willing to get any closer to the paddock than they were now, including Kaelix. Potter and his friends, however, took a few hesitant steps forward.

"Now, firs' thing yeh got to know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud," Professor Hagrid said. "Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."

This didn't come as a surprise, their eyes seemed piercing and they kept the class within their view at all times. Their talons and sharp beaks gleamed, looking even deadlier up close. Kaelix had no doubt that they would slice through flesh and bone with ease. She heard Malfoy talking in hushed tones to Crabbe and Goyle but didn't pick up what they were saying, she was more interested in what Professor Hagrid was saying about the hippogriffs.

"Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make firs' move," Professor Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn't bow, then you get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt.

"Right- who wants ter go first?"

At first everyone took a step back, the hippogriffs looked fierce with their powerful wings beating and the heads tossing in frustration. They certainly didn't enjoy being tethered to the paddock fence and Kaelix wondered if it was even strong enough to hold them back if they really decided to move away.

"No one?" said Professor Hagrid with a pleading look.

"No one wants to die." Malfoy snickered under his breath.

"I'll do it." Potter said.

A sharp intake of breath came from the Gryffindors among the class and two girls whispered, "ohhh, no Harry, remember your tea leaves!"

Potter's face hardened as he climbed over the paddock fence, he seemed even more determined after their comments.

"Good man, Harry!" roared Professor Hagrid. "Right then, lets see how yeh get on with Buckbeak!"

Professor Hagrid quickly untied a grey hippogriff and pulled it closer to the class, away from its fellow hippogriffs. Most of the students, even some Slytherins, were holding their breath. Malfoy's eyes narrowed maliciously as Potter approached Buckbeak. Was he actually hoping something would go wrong? Potter was nosy and annoying but Kaelix wasn't sure he deserved to be on the wrong end of a hippogriff for it.

"Easy, now, Harry," Professor Hagrid said quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not to blink… hippogriffs don't trust yeh if yeh blink too much."

Kaelix immediately felt the need to blink and imagined Potter did as well. But if he felt the need to blink he didn't give in. He was only a few feet from Buckbeak who was still tossing his head a bit and flexing the muscles of his giant wings, he could lunge in a fraction of a second if he chose to and Professor Hagrid wouldn't be able to stop him.

"That's it," said Professor Hagrid, "that's it Harry… now, bow…"

Kaelix watched intently as Potter did as he was told, bowing before the hippogriff that towered over him. Although, Professor Hagrid seemed to know what he was doing with the creatures, the idea of exposing the back of her neck to one of them seemed like one of the last things she would ever want to do. Potter rose and once again made unblinking eye contact with Buckbeak. The hippogriff remained completely still, standing tall and proud, not wavering an inch.

"Ah," said Professor Hagrid sounding worried, "right- back away, now, Harry- easy does it-"

Then to everyone's enormous surprise the hippogriff bent it's scaly front knees and sank into what was unmistakably a bow.

"Well done, Harry!" Professor Hagrid said beaming, "Right- yeh can touch him now, right there on the beak, go on."

The reward for successfully staring down a hippogriff was to touch it, didn't seem quite fair. Potter moved hesitantly forward toward Buckbeak, he didn't seem too thrilled about touching the hippogriffs beak. Slowly he reached out his hand and gently patted the creature. Buckbeak rolled its eyes in a lazy fashion as if he was a dog enjoying a belly rub. The class broke into applause, Gryffindors enthusiastically clapped and most Slytherins joined somewhat less enthusiastically. Kaelix gave a few polite claps and tried to resist the temptation to roll her eyes. Malfoy didn't clap at all and looked rather disappointed at Potter's success.

"Right then, Harry," said Professor Hagrid, "I reckon he might let yeh ride him."

Potter's eye went wide with worry and Malfoy's gleamed at the thought of what could happen. Ride him? How was anyone supposed to ride one of those? Before anyone could voice the question Professor Hagrid moved forward to help Potter mount Buckbeak.

"Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," Professor Hagrid said. "An' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that…"

Potter put his foot on Buckbeak's wing and hoisted himself onto the creature's back. Buckbeak stood up tall and Kaelix was wondering where Potter was supposed to hold on since everything in front of him was feathers. Before he could figure out what to grab hold of, Professor Hagrid roared, "go on then," and slapped the hippogriff's hindquarters.

In one swift movement twelve foot wings extended to their full length on either side of Buckbeak. Potter seized the creature around the neck just before it took off. With one huge sweep of its wings it launched itself into the air. The wings appeared to beat very uncomfortably, and the hippogriff's body jerked up and down, Potter's face betrayed the fact that he was very uncomfortable. Buckbeak circled the paddock once before descending and Kaelix wondered how Potter managed to avoid falling forward straight over the hippogriff's beak on the way down. He landed somewhat gracefully on his four ill-assorted legs. Potter pushed himself upright again before sliding off of Buckbeak onto slightly shaky legs.

"Good work, Harry!" Professor Hagrid roared over the cheers of the entire class, excluding Malfoy and his friends again. "Okay, who else wants a go?"

The class seemed to be emboldened by Potter's success with Buckbeak and eagerly but cautiously climbed over the fence into the paddock. Professor Hagrid untied the other hippogriffs one by one and matched them up with groups of students. Soon everyone was trying their best to be respectful of the hippogriffs and earn their approval. The clumsy boy from divination, his name might have been Neville, kept running backward from his hippogriff which chased him in a lazy but still frightening fashion. Potter's friends were on the other side of the paddock practicing while Potter looked on. Kaelix was happy to see that he wasn't watching her, at least for the moment.

She moved with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle toward Buckbeak. After a short bit of unwavering eye contact with Malfoy, Buckbeak bowed in return and allowed Malfoy to pat him on the beak, though he looked thoroughly bored with the whole ordeal. Malfoy glanced back at Kaelix with a smirk, "it's really quite easy," he drawled, loud enough for Potter to hear him. Kaelix managed to make eye contact with Buckbeak and tried her luck at gaining his approval, she bowed and rose slowly, regaining eye contact and never blinking. It was less than a second before he bent his knee to her and she moved forward to pat his beak.

"It must have been easy, if Potter could do it…." Malfoy said loudly again. "I bet you're not even dangerous, are you?" he said to the hippogriff.

"You really want to find out if you're wrong?" Kaelix asked. "I certainly don't want to be on the receiving end of those talons." she gestured toward the ground.

"You really think a creature dumb enough to bow to Potter is smart enough to know when it's been insulted?"

"I don't think the sharpness of their talons depends on their intelligence."

He scoffed at her words, "you're not dangerous at all are you, you great ugly brute?"

Kaelix instantly knew that he'd made a mistake, it was over in a second. There was a flash of steel talons and Kaelix felt a rush of air as Buckbeak lashed out at Malfoy. He let out a high pitched scream and fell to the ground from the impact. Though Buckbeak had gone suddenly still standing next to Kaelix, Professor Hagrid rushed over to reharness him. Malfoy was curled up on the ground cradling his arm as blood blossomed onto his robes. Kaelix knelt down next to him to see if she could help, Professor Hagrid looked fairly flustered and at a loss as to what happened.

"I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled as the class continued to panic. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"

"You're not dying." Kaelix hissed, "just an idiot."

She pulled back his sleeve to see the damage that Buckbeak had done and was surprised by how superficial it was compared to what Malfoy was making it out to be. He must not have been hit as hard as it had appeared. The gashes were deep and bleeding quite significantly but his arm was still very much intact.

"You'll be fine, it's only a scratch." she said.

"Only a scratch," he hissed back at her, "I'll be lucky if I don't lose my arm."

She rolled her eyes at his dramatics and supposed she might not be so calm if it had been her arm that was bleeding so freely, it probably did hurt something awful. But he had called the hippogriff an ugly brute, which is exactly what Professor Hagrid had told them not to do.

"Yer not dyin'!" said Professor Hagrid, who had gone sheepishly white. "Someone help me - gotta get him outta here-"

"I can take him." Kaelix said to Professor Hagrid, and then to Malfoy, "Get up, he didn't manage to get either of your legs so they should be working just fine."

"But I should- I'm the teacher, I should-" Professor Hagrid was still quite flustered.

"You should stay and tell the class what went wrong, I'll make sure he gets to the hospital wing." Kaelix half helped, half pulled Malfoy to his feet who was still claiming that he was going to die.

"Come on." she said, pulling on his remaining good arm to get him going.

Kaelix was sure that if he was able to make such a scene about the whole thing, he couldn't be in terrible pain. Hermione had run over to hold open the gate for them, Kaelix nodded in appreciation as they passed.

"You'll be fired for this!" Malfoy yelled over his shoulder as Kaelix dragged him up the slopes toward the castle.

"What are you on about? That whole thing was your own fault." said Kaelix pulling a bit harder on his good arm.

"My fault? He's the one who brought that dangerous creature to class." Malfoy argued.

"And you're the idiot who insulted the dangerous creature after being told specifically not to. Did you really think those talons were harmless, or were you actually trying to get yourself killed?" she said.

"Are you actually defending that brainless oaf?" he asked.

"Are you actually trying to get him fired because you were an idiot and ignored directions?" she snapped back.

"He put all of our lives in danger with that insane creature, it could have killed any one of us. It should be put down and he should be fired for incompetence."

"He gave us instructions, he had Potter give us a step by step demonstration of what to do. You're the one who put our lives in danger, not him. This was your fault, not Buckbeak's and certainly not Professor Hagrid's. How would you like it if someone tried to get you kicked out of school for something you didn't do? Grow up just a bit, would you."

"My father's going to be furious when he hears about this." Malfoy muttered almost to himself.

They were close to the castle now and Kaelix was no longer pulling him along. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw the class beginning to break apart and make their way back.

"Why, will he blame the professor and the hippogriff for it as well?" she asked sharply as they passed through the great oak front doors.

"Not as much as me." he said almost too quiet for her to hear.

Kaelix glanced sideways at him, something had changed about his demeanor at the mention of his father. His voice lowered, his shoulders slumped a bit, and he gaze lowered to the ground. They started up the main marble staircase to the upper floors of the castle.

"Well, who said he has to find out? I'm sure Madame Poffer will fix your arm faster than you can say abracadabra." Kaelix said trying to distract him.

"Faster than I can say what?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"Abracadabra?" he still looked confused, "it's a joke, because magicians say it. Whenever they're going to do a trick it's the… you have no idea what I'm talking about do you?"

He shook his head.

"You've never heard of a magician before?"

"Is that some kind of muggle trick?"

"Well they perform tricks, but what's a muggle?"

"Anyone who's not a wizard or witch, how is it that you don't know that?"

"Probably because I grew up with them and I just called them people."

"You're a muggleborn?"

"If that means both my parents were muggles, I have no idea. I don't know who they were. So you don't have to have magical parents to be a wizard?"

"You do if you want to be respected."

"Is there some kind of difference between those with muggle parents and those with magic parents?"

"Other than the fact that they're ruining our pure-blood lines with their filth?"

"Are you saying that muggleborns are somehow dirty?"

"They're unworthy, they shouldn't be able to do magic."

"They can do magic just the same as a pureblood, can't they? And they're human too, unless you've left out the bit about them being something else entirely"

"That doesn't matter, they may as well be some sort of brainless creatures"

"I think it does. Thinking less of someone just because of their bloodline is like hating them because of their skin color; they can't control it and it really doesn't mean anything. You've just imagined a way to feel better about yourself. Is that how the whole school thinks?"

He paused before answering, seeming to consider her words. "No."

"Is that why Slytherin students don't get along with the rest, do you all believe you're better than muggleborns?"

"We don't just believe we're better, we are better."

"Just because you keep telling yourself that doesn't make it true."

"What do you even know, you've only been here two days."

"I know something as insignificant as blood doesn't determine your worth. It's who you are and what you do that matters, not where you came from. Look we're here." Kaelix said pulling open the door.

They had barely stepped inside before Madame Pomfrey came rushing over to meet them.

"Good heavens, it's only the first day of classes, how in Merlin's name has someone hurt themselves already. What's happened here?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she rushed over to examine Malfoy's bloodstained arm.

"It's not as bad as it looks." he muttered as if embarrassed by her attention.

"Not as bad as it looks, eh? We'll see about that, Mr. Malfoy."

"He was hit by a hippogriff's talons, Madame."

"I thought as much by the look of it, and what's happened to you?" she asked turning to give Kaelix a once over.

"Oh nothing, I just came along to make sure he made it alright."

"Very well, this way Mr. Malfoy," she said, leading him over to sit on a bed. "So, Professor Hagrid didn't hold back on the first day, did he." she muttered as she examined his arm.

Kaelix watched curiously as Madame Pomfrey pulled out her wand, whispered a spell, and gave it a little flick. A small bead of white light shot out the end and quickly began circling Malfoy's arm. It continued to circle as it moved down the length of his forearm and cleaned the blood off as it went. When it reached the end it rose up and then fizzled out, a bit like a firework.

"I'll be back in a moment." Madame Pomfrey said and she whisked away back in the direction she had appeared from moments ago.

"Not as bad as it looks, huh?"

He shrugged, "I guess I've had worse."

"Are you sure because ten minutes ago you seemed to think you were dying?" said Kaelix.

"I thought it was worse." He said.

"Well Madame Pomper doesn't seem that concerned."

"What did you call her, Pomper? Her name is Madame Pomfrey." He gave a small laugh.

"Oh so that's it. I'm not that good with names."

Madame Pomfrey came sweeping back toward them holding a bottle that contained a very unappealing grayish green colored substance. Kaelix was glad that she wasn't the one who had to drink it.

"Here we are, Mr. Malfoy, drink up." she said, passing him the bottle.

He sniffed the potion and his scowl turned to a look of disgust.

"Can't you do anything for the taste?" he asked.

"Of course, I can burn your taste buds off if you like, but if you'd rather keep those in tact I suggest taking a deep breath and drinking it as fast as you can. Otherwise you can walk around with your arm like that until it heals on it's own." Madame Pomfrey said.

Malfoy's scowl remained but he drank the potion as instructed, though not without choking a bit as the last bit went down.

"That will take a bit to heal up properly and I'd like you to stay here so I can see that it does. I suppose you can stay to keep him company while it stitches itself back together. I'll have food brought for you both." with that she turned and disappeared once more.

"You don't have to stick around, I'll be fine on my own."

He wasn't lying but Kaelix could tell he didn't really want her to leave, "I don't have anywhere else to be." she said as she took a seat on the bed next to him.

He gave a faint smile in return. They spent a few hours chatting about this and that. Malfoy was surprised by Kaelix's lack of knowledge on more than one occasion and she explained a few muggle things to him as well.

"I better get up to Gryffindor tower, Professor McGonagall's given us homework already."

"It really is a shame you were sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin." he said.

"I just hope I don't run into Potter again. If he tries to tell me what to do one more time I think I might lose it."

"I guess I'll see you around then."

"Yeah, see you around."

With that they parted ways and Kaelix made her way toward Gryffindor tower at a quick pace. She muttered the password just loud enough for the portrait to hear her and then went straight to her room. Most of the students were still downstairs at dinner so she slipped up the stairs and into her dormitory without being noticed. When she closed the door behind her and leaned back against the cold wood, she let out a breath that she hadn't even realized she was holding; for now the room belonged to her.

With her back to the door she closed her eyes and reflected on her first day. First there was the ridiculous divination class with the eccentric Professor Trelawney. Then the unexpected but somewhat pleasant escort to transfiguration. The uneventful but interesting transfiguration class with a stern Professor McGonagall. And last, but by far the least, the rather eventful care of magical creatures lesson with Professor Hagrid, followed of course by her escorting Malfoy to the hospital wing, lecturing him the whole way, and then keeping him company while his arm mended. And of course, the multiple attempts from Potter to tell her what to do, why did he think it was his job to look out for her?

It was a bit amazing how only a few short weeks ago she had been sitting in the reception area of her psychiatrist's office waiting for her usual appointment, and now she was sitting in the dormitory of a magical school having finished her first day of classes. And it certainly had been interesting, but more interesting still than the events of her day, was the magic. Most of the students didn't seem to take notice of it as she did, like it was an everyday occurrence in their lives, it probably was for most of them she realized. Moving pictures, floating candles, ghosts, crystal balls, moving stair cases, healing potions and more, just as they had predicted. She stopped and shook herself, it all seemed too good to be true. She didn't belong here, in this magical fairy tale world with its charms and enchantments, and she wondered now, why she even decided to come?

Gazing around the room she noticed for the first time all of the personal adornments that the other girls had given their parts of the room. The blankets and comforters, the pictures and posters, they were all things from their homes. Her eyes went full circle and fell upon her own space that remained undecorated and quite plain with only it's school issued bedding, the trunk full of school supplies and clothing, and her sketchbook and pencil that lay on her night stand. She moved, before she could begin to wish for things to be different, before she could begin to dwell on what might have been, before she thought about how things should have been instead of the way they had turned out. The homework that McGonagall had assigned earlier that day was calling her name and it seemed like a good distraction for her mind.

A few hours and chapters of reading later, Kaelix decided to pack it up for the night. She set her books aside and moved to the window seat by her bed so she could look out over the grounds that were beginning to fade as dusk quickly set in. She could see the lake shimmering in the setting sun, the forest trees swaying in the wind as if they were dancing, and a small pool of light coming from one of the windows of Professor Hagrid's hut. The small pool of light illuminated a form in the pumpkin patch, and at first Kaelix couldn't make out what it was. The gray form blended in well with the shadows, making it look oddly deformed but she could see slight movement that resembled the rise and fall of a chest breathing. Then the form moved and a head rose to look around, as if the creature had sensed her somehow watching it.

Kaelix blinked. It was Buckbeak, the hippogriff, from the all too eventful care of magical creatures class that afternoon. He looked around once more before laying his head down again to return to his peaceful slumber.  _Life must be good,_ she thought,  _when all you have to worry about is eating, sleeping, and teaching a few ornery kids a lesson now and again._

She turned in her seat, grabbed her sketchbook off of the bed stand, and turned to a fresh page. She began building up an image of Buckbeak from what she could remember of him, head raised in a proud sort of way, sharp piercing amber eyes, smooth feathers slicked back along his neck, and his shining silver beak. Voices pulled Kaelix from the tranquility of her drawing. She quickly returned her drawing supplies to her bedside table and climbed onto her bed. Not particularly in the mood to answer twenty questions with her roommates, she grabbed the curtain and began pulling it closed. She paused for a moment when something outside caught her eye.

There were three figures down on the distance making their way across the grounds toward Professor Hagrid's hut. She was curious as to the identities of those who would risk breaking curfew to wander the deserted grounds but the growing volume of the voices outside her door and her desire not to meet their owners drove her to close the curtain. She lay back against her pillows, relaxing as the thought of meeting the giggling girls and their endless questions disappeared.

The door opened and their conversation poured into the room, "he so would not, Parvati." one voice said.

"Well he did and I'm telling you it was soooo cute!" came a second voice, which must belong to Parvati.

"Okay next time I see him I'll ask." The first voice said.

"Well… he probably wouldn't like to talk about it… he is a guy after all." Parvati's voice came again.

The conversation paused as the girls were overtaken by a bout of giggles. Kaelix rolled her eyes, it was amazing how average and silly these teenage girls were. Kaelix had expected them to be different, not so frivolous or boy crazy but teenage girls at a magical school were still just teenage girls, except they knew magic was real and not just a fairy tale. Her thoughts began to wander again and the girls' voices were just dull background murmuring until she heard her name spoken.

"So we still don't know who she is then?" came the voice that Kaelix recognized as belonging to Parvati.

"Not really, Hermione said she partnered with her in divination and that she was pleasant enough but I heard she doesn't like Harry." Another voice said.

"How could she not like Harry?" a third voice asked.

"Dunno, but I saw her arguing with him before Care of Magical Creatures this afternoon and then she walked off with Malfoy and his lot." the second voice answered.

"Well what do you think, a transfer from Beauxbaton?" Parvati asked.

"I think if she's awake and can hear us she won't be very happy about being gossiped about." came the third voice again.

The others were quiet for a moment as if mulling over her words but then Parvati spoke again, "well if she doesn't start talking to people then she is just inviting us to gossip about her, I mean nobody can be  _that_ shy, can they?"

"Well I don't know, does your behavior around Dean count?" the second voice teased.

"That's not funny, Lavender." Parvati's protest was met with another bout of laughter.

The conversation flowed away from Kaelix after that and did not return. She didn't much care if they gossiped about her; anything that they came up with would probably be better than the answers that she gave them anyway.

_Why did I come here, why did I even think this was a good idea._


	7. A Pinch of Secrecy, A Dash of Fire, and A Sprinkle of Curiosity

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

Chapter Seven: A Pinch of Secrecy, A Dash of Fire, and A Sprinkle of Curiosity

Kaelix stirred her simmering potion once more, when she was satisfied with the purple color it had acquired, she added in four rat spleens. The spleens quickly began to disintegrate into the potion, and she set about mincing her daisy roots.

Halfway through her first Potions class, which happened to be a double with Slytherins, she had already decided that it was her favorite class. Though she hadn't yet had her first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, that would be this afternoon, it would have to be something special to outrank Potions. There was something that seemed almost normal about it, sure the potion she was concocting would allow a wizard to shrink an entire flock of sheep down so small that they could be carried in his pocket but other than that it was pretty much just like cooking. Six caterpillars, sliced; one skinned shrivelfig, shaken and quartered; four rat spleens, whole; four daisy roots, minced; and a dash of leech juice. That was all it took, that and the careful execution of combining those ingredients. It was precise and that's what Kaelix liked about it.

"How is it, Draco?" simpered a somewhat familiar voice.

Malfoy had just sauntered into the dungeon classroom with his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling as if it had been critically wounded. It was the same arm that Buckbeak had injured earlier in the week, but that was healed days ago. What had happened to him this time?

"Does it hurt much?" The Slytherin girl asked with an overly concerned expression.

This time Kaelix recognized the voice, it was the same one that had called out to Malfoy from the platform at the start of term.

"Yeah," said Malfoy, putting on a brave sort of grimace.

Kaelix didn't miss the wink he shot toward Crabbe and Goyle when the girl looked away. Kaelix rolled her eyes at his painfully bad acting, whatever else had happened to his arm since Buckbeak must not have been as bad as he was making it out to be.

"Settle down, settle down," said Professor Snape idly, he didn't seem to care that Malfoy had missed almost half the class.

The other interesting thing about Potions class was Professor Snape. He was different from the other teachers she'd had so far. His demeanor toward the students was cold and dismissive, even more so toward the Gryffindors. According to the other students' whispers he had little patience for incompetence, and was quick to belittle anyone if the opportunity presented itself. Kaelix hadn't witnessed anything of the sort for herself yet and would reserve her judgement until she did.

"Good morning, Williams." Malfoy said with a smirk as he took the empty seat next to her.

"So far, but there's still plenty of time for it to go south, it is only 10am after all," she said without looking up from her daisy roots.

"Well, aren't you Miss Positivity this morning," he said.

"I was voted Most Positive Personality by my sixth grade class," she said.

"What a tremendous honor, did it come with a trophy or a crown?" he asked.

"Don't be silly, of course it was a crown, and with it I ruled over all my less positive subjects."

"So would that make you Princess Positivity then? Because there are some people that would call me the Slytherin Prince."

Kaelix nearly snorted, "please tell me that was a joke?"

He scowled, "of course it was."

"So how are you going to brew a potion with your arm in that sling?" she asked.

He flashed a devilish grin at her, "like this. Sir," he called to Professor Snape, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm-"

"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," said Professor Snape without looking up from his desk.

"There's nothing wrong with your arm," Weasel hissed at Malfoy from his station directly ahead of Kaelix.

"Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots." Malfoy smirked across the table.

"Wait, I thought his name was Weasel?" Kaelix asked.

Malfoy snorted, "it ought to be."

Weasley had turned around to Malfoy's work station and roughly chopped his daisy roots so that they were all different sizes.

"Professor," drawled Malfoy, "Weasley is mutilating my roots, sir."

This time Professor Snape abandoned whatever he had been working on and approached their table. He stared down his hooked nose at the the mutilated roots, then gave Weasley an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, greasy black hair.

"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley."

"But, sir-" he tried to protest.

Weasley had spent a great deal of time cutting up his own daisy roots so that they were all the same size pieces. The whole thing seemed a bit silly since Professor Snape had specifically stated that they did not need to be the same size, they just needed to be cut into small enough pieces. Spending the time to get them all perfectly the same size had been a waste, but Malfoy's roots were far from mutilated, they just need another chopping pass to get the pieces smaller.

" _Now,"_  said Professor Snape in a voice that left no room for argument.

Weasley exchanged roots with Malfoy and then began trying to even out the roots he now had to work with. Malfoy was grinning like a kid at Christmas, he was thoroughly enjoy this. Kaelix turned back to her own cauldron and began adding her finely chopped daisy roots to the potion, stirring as she went. After adding most of her roots to the potion it turned bright green. She set the rest of the roots aside and let it simmer.

When she looked up from her cauldron again she met Professor Snape's gaze. He looked her over from head to toe and then turned to her potion. He took a step closer and leaned over her cauldron to smell her concoction; his nose wrinkled a bit.

"How unpleasant," he said.

Kaelix opened her mouth, ready to defend the work she had done so far. She'd followed his instructions exactly and the potion was a slimy green color just as he said it should be at this stage.

He spoke again, "good work, Miss Williams," and with that he made his way back to his desk.

Kaelix couldn't help the corners of her mouth turning up in a small smile. She had a feeling that what she'd just heard was very rare coming from the taciturn professor but that only increased its value.

"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," said Malfoy, his voice full of malicious laughter.

"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," said Professor Snape, giving Potter a look of loathing that Kaelix thought might burn right through the boy.

 _What was that about?_  she wondered.

Potter took Malfoy's shrivelfig, skinned it as fast as he could and then shoved it back toward Malfoy without a word. Malfoy's smirk was growing with each passing moment.

"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?" he asked them quietly.

"None of your business," said Weasley, without looking up.

"I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer," said Malfoy in a tone of mock sorrow. "Father's not very happy about my injury-"

"Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury," Weasley snarled.

"-he's complained to the school governors.  _And_  to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know. And a lasting injury like this-"

"A lasting injury?" Kaelix asked in disbelief, "you can't be talking about what Buckbeak did to you, because that was perfectly healed three days ago."

Malfoy's smirk dropped a bit.

"So you really are just putting this whole thing on," said Potter, accidentally beheading a dead caterpillar because he was shaking with anger. "To try to get Hagrid fired. I told you he was a prejudiced git," he added to Kaelix.

"Well," said Malfoy, lowering his voice to a whisper and trying to recover from the effect Kaelix's comment had on him, " _partly,_ Potter. But there are other benefits too. Weasley, slice my caterpillars for me."

Weasley was still boiling with anger but he took Malfoy's caterpillars without protest and began slicing them a bit more carefully than he had chopped the daisy roots.

"No, you told me I wasn't allowed to talk to him. You never gave me any reasons why," she shot back at Potter.

"I never said you weren't  _allowed_ to, I said it would be better if you didn't. And I did give you reasons," said Potter.

"I'm sorry, what I meant to say was, you didn't give me any valid reasons."

"My reasons were valid."

"I shouldn't like him because you don't, isn't a valid reason in my book. You better pay attention to your potion now, unless you want to end up with a cauldron full of slop."

"Nice, Williams." Malfoy said with a smirk.

"So are you deaf or do you just have temporary amnesia?" Kaelix asked.

"What do you mean?" asked Malfoy.

"Don't play dumb, you know exactly what I mean," she hissed at him, hoping it was quiet enough that Potter couldn't hear. "Even if it was Professor Hagrid's fault or Buckbeak's, your arm is fine. That injury wasn't bad enough for anyone to be fired over it."

Potter glanced over his shoulder at them and Kaelix hoped he would exhibit some self control and refrain from joining their conversation.

Malfoy's smirk faltered a bit, "it looked okay the other day but it got bad again after that."

"Bad how? Madame Pomfrey said it was like new."

"I don't know, that creature must have given me an infection or something," his faltering smirk had turned to a scowl.

"Why are you doing this? You and I both know that's not true, so why are you pretending?"

"I'm not pretending." now he sounded defensive.

"Did someone put you up to this?" she asked.

"Just leave it alone."

"Was it your father?" she pressed.

"I said just leave it." he snapped.

"Just because you won't admit that someone's scared you into putting on this show, doesn't mean it's not true."

"Orange, Longbottom," said Professor Snape, ladling some up and allowing it to drop back into the cauldron for everyone to see just how far from acid green it was.

"Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that four rat spleens were necessary? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?"

Neville had gone pink and now he was starting to tremble. He looked on the verge of tears. Professor Snape was an intimidating teacher, in an entirely different way than Professor McGonagall. He certainly seemed to be taking advantage of the opportunity to belittle Neville as rumor predicted he would, but only a short time ago he had complimented her potion. Perhaps he implemented a tough-love teaching style, or perhaps there was some history there that Kaelix knew nothing about.

"Please, sir," said Hermione, "please, I could help Neville put it right."

"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," said Professor Snape coldly and Hermione went as pink as Neville. "Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly."

After Professor Snape moved away, Neville looked to Hermione for help and she began instructing him out of the corner of her mouth so that Professor Snape might not take notice.

Kaelix added more of her remaining shrivelfig to the potion and by the last bit it had turned a bright pink just as the recipe said it should. She began slicing up her last caterpillar as another Gryffindor caught Potter's attention.

"Hey, Harry," said Seamus Finnigan, as he headed over to borrow something, "have you heard?  _Daily Prophet_ this morning, they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted."

Kaelix's attention was drawn away from her caterpillar just long enough that she caught her own finger with the knife. She drew a sharp breath as pain erupted in the tip of her finger. The knife clamoured onto her cutting board and she clamped down hard on her wounded finger with her other hand. She felt a familiar chill as a quick shiver ran down her spine, she had a feeling that it wasn't from the cold dungeon air. She missed Seamus recounting the location of the alleged sighting during her moment of pain but she did hear someone else say that it was close by.

"Does our prison fugitive frighten you?" Malfoy asked.

"No, I actually have a lot of experience with prison fugitives so I'm pretty used to it."

"Oh, I'm sure they were all mass murderers as well?"

"Mass, no. But one of them was a serial killer."

"So Black doesn't scare you at all, even the thought of coming face to face with him? Because I think it does."

"Well I figure once this potion is done I can carry a vial of it around with me and if I see him I'll throw it on him and when he's shrunk down to the size of an ant, I'll step on him."

"That's ludicrous."

"No what's ludicrous is you projecting your own fear onto me."

Potter glanced back at the two of them again with a scowl on his face but his gaze did not linger.

Malfoy's eyes were on her hand now, "do you need another escort to the hospital wing?" he asked with a sneer, ignoring her comment.

Kaelix took a peek at her finger and found exactly what she'd expected, "I don't know, how is Madame Pomfrey at reattaching fingers?" accepting his abrupt change of topic.

Malfoy's eyes widened a bit, "you didn't?"

"Gotcha," she said with a sly grin revealing her unharmed finger.

"How did you- what happened to the cut?" he asked.

"There never was any cut." she said dismissively, hoping he'd drop it.

His face relaxed but she could see a bit of suspicion in his eyes, she wasn't sure he'd believed her. She turned back to her caterpillar, still listening to the other students' conversation about Black, but keeping her eyes on her knife this time.

"Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?" asked Malfoy.

"Yeah, that's right." said Potter offhandedly.

Malfoy's mouth was curving up into another smile.

"Of course, if it was me," he said quietly, "I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy, I'd be out there looking for him."

"What are you talking about, Malfoy." Weasley asked roughly.

Kaelix added the last slices of caterpillar to her potion and covered the cauldron so it could simmer to finish. Her eyes traced over her wand where it lay near the remnants of her potion ingredients. Her wand, which held the same type of core, from the very same creature as Sirius Black's.

"Don't you know, Potter?" asked Malfoy with narrowed eyes.

"Know what?"

Malfoy let out a low, sneering laugh.

"Maybe you'd just rather not risk your neck," he said. "Want to leave it to the dementors, do you? But if it was me I'd want revenge. I'd want to hunt him down myself."

" _What are you talking about?"_ said Potter angrily, but at that moment Professor Snape called, "you should have finished adding ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk so clear away your things while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's…"

Crabbe and Goyle laughed openly, watching Neville sweat as he stirred his potion feverishly. Hermione was still muttering instructions to him out of the corner of her mouth. Kaelix finished packing the rest of her things away and then made her way over to the stone basin in the corner of the classroom to wash up.

"What's Potter's connection to Black?" she asked as Malfoy came up beside her.

"Black's the one who got his parents killed and apparently he has no clue."

"Were they part of the mass murder?"

"Actually no, but the mass murder was what got him caught. If he hadn't done that, he probably would have gotten away." he said, then made his way back to his seat.

Kaelix finished cleaning her last ladle and turned to make her own way back to her seat, nearly colliding with Potter. They exchanged cold looks for a brief moment before she ducked around him without a word.

Professor Snape strode over to Neville who was cowering by his cauldron.

"Everyone gather 'round," said Professor Snape, his eyes glittering, "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned."

The Gryffindors watched fearfully. Professor Snape scooped up Trevor with his left hand and dipped a spoon into Neville's potion which was now green, though it couldn't' have had time to simmer properly. He trickled a few drops down Trevor's throat. There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then came a small pop and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling in Professor Snape's hand. Kaelix joined the Gryffindors in polite applause for their classmate. Professor Snape, looked sour, pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top of Trevor, and he reappeared as a full grown toad.

"Five points from Gryffindor," Professor Snape said, wiping the smiles from every face. "I told you not to help him Miss Granger. Class dismissed."

Professor Lupin wasn't there when the students had gathered for their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Everyone took a seat and retrieved their books, quills and parchment from their bags. The quiet classroom quickly faded into a dull hum as they all began chatting about this or that. A few moments later Professor Lupin entered the room and smiled vaguely as he placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. Kaelix hadn't realized how ill he had looked when they first met on the train but seeing him now in the full light of the classroom she realized how sickly he'd been. Although he looked a bit healthier now, as if he was on the other side of whatever ailment he'd contracted and had a few good meals as well.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please pack away all your things. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

The class exchanged curious glances but put away their things obediently. It seemed that they had never had a practical lesson before, or at least not in a very long while.

"Right then," said Professor Lupin when all of the shuffling had subsided, "follow me please."

Kaelix grasped her wand and rose to her feet with the rest of the class to follow Professor Lupin. She had wished for a bit more time to study before being asked to do anything practical, especially since all of her classmates had had two years of practical practice and all she'd done so far was conjure up a sparkling silver sort of mist. She had to start at some point, she just hoped it wouldn't have to be in front of the entire class.

Professor Lupin led them along a deserted corridor and around a corner, where they saw a figure floating upside down in midair that could only be Peeves the poltergeist. He was stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum. Kaelix had not had the pleasure of encountering Peeves herself yet but she had seen evidence of his antics once before. A few unfortunate first years had a run in with him the previous day and they ended up running back to their common room soaking wet. That's when another student had explained Peeves' unique way of welcoming the first years. Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly toed feet and broke into song.

"Loony, loony, Lupin," Peeves sang, "Loony, loony, Lupin. Loony, loony, Lupin-"

Crazy as stories about Peeves were, Kaelix was surprised that he would treat a teacher with such disrespect, and judging by the expressions on her classmates' faces, they felt the same. Everyone looked at Professor Lupin to see how he took this blatant show of disrespect but he was still smiling.

"I'd take that gum out of that keyhole if I were you, Peeves." He said, pleasantly. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get to his brooms."

Kaelix had also heard a few stories about Filch, he was the grumpy old caretaker that waged war with the students over the slightest rule breaking or misbehavior. Peeves, however, didn't seem concerned about whether or not Filch could get to his brooms or not, and paid no attention to Professor Lupin's words. He did however blow a very loud raspberry, to which Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand.

"This is a useful little spell." He told the class over his shoulder, "Please, watch closely."

He raised his wand, said, " _Waddiwasi!"_  and pointed at Peeves.

With the force of a bullet the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight up Peeves' left nostril; he whirled upward and flew away cursing loudly.

"Cool, sir." said Dean Thomas in amazement.

"Thank you, Dean," replied Professor Lupin, "Shall we proceed?"

Kaelix couldn't help but wonder what Peeves might try to do in retaliation for thwarting his plan. They set off again and the whole class seemed to have more respect for the shabby looking professor that was leading them down a second corridor. They stopped outside of a door that Kaelix had never seen before, but with the size of the castle she wasn't surprised to not know every detail by her first week in residence.

While Lupin reached for the doorknob someone whispered, "why are we going into the staffroom?"

"Inside please." Professor Lupin said stepping back to let them by.

The staffroom, a long room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for one teacher. Professor Snape was alone in a musty armchair. He looked over as the students filed in. His eyes glittering maliciously and an evil smirk played across his lips.

When Professor Lupin made to close the door behind the class, Professor Snape stood quickly and said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this." Professor Snape made his way around the students, black robes billowing behind him.

At the door he turned on his heel and said with sickly pleasure, "it's possible that no one has warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything too difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is whispering instructions in his ear."

The room was silent and Neville and Hermione both turned scarlet. Professor Snape must not have his own class at the moment, and he did seem particularly drawn to picking on Neville so he was taking the opportunity presented by Professor Lupin's.

Professor Lupin raised his eyebrows; "I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation." he said. "And I'm sure that he will perform it very well."

Neville's face turned even brighter and Professor Snape's lip curled. He turned on his heel to leave and shut the door with a snap behind him.

"Now then," Professor Lupin said, as he beckoned them down to the other end of the room where nothing but an old wardrobe was standing. He stopped next to it and it shuddered on its own.

"Nothing to worry about," Professor Lupin said, cheerfully, when a few of the students had jumped backwards in alarm. "There's a boggart in there."

By the looks that appeared on some students faces they thought a boggart certainly was something to worry about. Neville was looking at Lupin with pure terror on his face and Seamus Finnigan eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," Lupin explained. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboard under the stairs… I even found one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, I asked the headmaster if he could leave it to give my third years some practice." He paused with a tired smile on his face, and then continued. "So the first thing we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

Hermione's hand shot into the air, "it's a shape shifter," she offered without hesitation. "It will always take the shape of something that it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, Hermione glowed with pride.

"So the boggart in the wardrobe has not yet assumed a shape. Since he is alone in the darkness he does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone, but when I let him out he will immediately become what each of us most fears. This means," Professor Lupin said, ignoring Neville's small sputter of terror, "that we have a huge advantage over it before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?" he asked unexpectedly.

Potter seemed to struggle for a moment before answering slightly unsure, "-er, because there are so many of us it won't know what shape it should be." it couldn't have been easy, being put on the spot like that, especially with Hermione bouncing up onto the balls of her feet with her hand as high as she could possibly get it.

"Precisely." said Professor Lupin.

Hermione deflated a bit when the praise was directed at Potter instead of her.

"It's always best to have company when battling a boggart. He will become confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh eating slug? Once I saw a boggart make that very mistake –tried to frighten two people off at once and turned itself into a half slug. Not remotely frightening. The charm that repels a boggart is, simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see the thing that really finishes off a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that amuses you. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please…  _riddikulus_!"

" _Riddikulus_!" the class repeated together.

"Good." said Professor Lupin nodding in approval. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see the word alone is not enough, and this is where you come in Neville."

The wardrobe gave a silent jerk, as Neville approached looking as though he'd been sent to the gallows.

"Right, Neville," said Professor Lupin, "first things first, what would you say frightens you most in the world?"

Kaelix saw Neville's lips move and thought she heard the word 'professor' but couldn't make out the rest.

"Didn't catch that Neville, sorry," said Professor Lupin cheerfully.

Neville looked pleadingly around the room for any kind of help but none was offered to him so he turned back to Professor Lupin and tried again barely above a whisper he said, "Professor Snape."

Everyone laughed, but it was a laugh of condolence, no one here thought that Professor Snape was a silly thing to fear. But Kaelix found it a bit odd that Professor Snape would be this boy's worst fear. This teacher was more frightening than anything else in the world?

Professor Lupin looked thoughtful, "Professor Snape… hmm… interesting… Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother, is that correct?"

"Uh, er- yes. But I don't want that boggart to turn into her either." he replied nervously.

"No, no you misunderstood me." said Professor Lupin, smiling. "I wonder Neville, could you tell us what sort of clothing your grandmother usually wears?"

Neville looked confused, but with a wrinkled brow he explained his grandmother's usual attire, "well always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top, and a long dress… green, usually… sometimes a fox fur scarf."

"And a handbag…" offered Professor Lupin.

"Yes, a big red one." Neville finished.

"Right then, can you picture those clothes in your mind's eye very clearly?" he asked.

"Yes." said Neville, obviously wondering what the professor was getting at.

"When the boggart bursts out of the wardrobe and sees you, Neville, it will assume the shape of Professor Snape," said Professor Lupin, "and you will raise your wand – thus – and cry ' _Riddikulus'_  –and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well then Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture topped hat, the green dress, and that big red handbag."

More laughter from the class and the wardrobe wobbled violently.

"If Neville is successful then the boggart will most likely shift its attention to each of us in turn." said Professor Lupin. "I would like each of you to take a moment and think of what scares you the most, and then how to make it look comical…"

The room went silent, even the wardrobe seemed to have stilled. Kaelix wondered about what scared her the most in the world. The first thing that came to mind was the rotting skeletal hand that she saw beneath the dementor's flowing cloak. The wave of suffocating cold that swept toward her, engulfing her. The long rasping breath that seemed to suck life right out of the air. She thought for a second about how to make a dementor into something the class would find comical but then another portion of that same memory flashed through her mind. Her own skin glowing for some unknown, presumably magical reason.

A shiver ran down her spine and she shook herself a bit to push the thought away. She would much rather the boggart turn into a dementor than into herself. She looked around, hoping no one had noticed her spontaneous spasm. She caught Potter's eyes for a moment, his expression was curious and a bit suspicious.

"Everyone ready?" Professor Lupin asked.

Potter's eyes widened slightly and he snapped his gaze back toward Professor Lupin, he looked about as ready as Kaelix felt. Everyone else in the class seemed to be nodding in agreement, were all of their fears so easily turned to humor? Weren't any of them afraid of something so terrifying that they didn't know how to make it funny?

"We're going to back away now, Neville, to give you room. Everyone stand back a bit!" said Professor Lupin. "Once we've had a good laugh at Professor Boggart Snape's expense, I'll call the next person forward. Everyone back, now, so Neville can have a clear shot." He said to the class, and they all retreated to the back of the room.

Neville was alone now, standing pale and frightened next to the wardrobe. Inspite of his fear he drew himself up a bit taller, pulled his sleeves back, and held his wand out before him.

"On the count of three, Neville." said Professor Lupin with his own wand pointing toward the wardrobe, "ready? One- two- three- now!"

He flicked his wand and a jet of sparks shot toward the doorknob. The wardrobe door flew open. Instantly, hooked-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out of the wardrobe and glowered at Neville. Neville backed away frightened, his mouth was gaping wordlessly as Professor Boggart Snape was towering over him, reaching inside his robes.

" _R- r- riddikulus._ " Neville stammered.

The sharp sound of a cracking whip snapped through the air. Snape stumbled and he was suddenly wearing a long green dress; a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture; and hanging from his left arm was a large crimson handbag. Professor Snape was much less intimidating with a stuffed bird on top of his head. Roaring laughter filled the room, echoing off of the walls to make it twice as loud. The boggart paused; it looked confused and a little lost. With a huge smile on his face as though thoroughly enjoying this himself, Professor Lupin yelled over the laughter, "Parvati! Forward!"

Neville gratefully stepped back, though he looked much less frightened after the boggart's wardrobe change, he still seemed quite fearful of it. Parvati stepped into place and another loud crack penetrated the stemming laughter. Professor Boggart Snape was gone and a mummy appeared in his place. Blood-stained bandages hung from its bones and its sightless face was turned toward Parvati. A mummy, this girl's worst fear was a mummy. It started forward and a slow pace, dragging its one foot as it went, its stiff arms rising as it went-

" _Riddikulus!_ " Parvati shouted.

The bandages around the mummy's feet unraveled a bit and tangled, causing him to get off balance and fall to the floor. Upon hitting the floor, the mummy's head fell off and rolled away.

"Seamus!" roared Professor Lupin.

Quick as he could, Seamus was past Parvati, eager for his turn now that the humor had overtaken the fear.  _Crack!_  Where the mummy had just been now stood a woman with floor length black hair and a skeletal green tinged face; a banshee. She opened her mouth wide and let loose an unearthly sound that hurt Kaelix's ears and raised the hair on the back of her neck. A bit more frightening than the mummy but still, of all the things in the world he was most afraid of banshee.

" _Riddikulus!_ " Seamus shouted.

The screeching noise stopped and the banshee clutched her throat; her voice was gone.

 _Crack!_  The banshee turned into a rat scurrying in circles, then – _crack!–_  a snake writhing about, then – _crack!–_  a single bloody eyeball.

"It's getting confused," shouted Professor Lupin, "we're getting there! Dean!"

Dean stepped determinedly forward and at the same time the crowd of students jostled, pushing Kaelix a bit farther forward than she wanted to be.  _Crack!_  The eyeball was gone and in it's place there was a severed hand that began to make its way crab-like across the floor toward Dean. A severed hand, what was scary about a severed hand? Gross, yes. Mildly stomach churning, sure. But the single most terrifying thing in the world?

" _Riddikulus!"_  yelled Dean.

Another sharp crack and the hand was in a mouse trap.

Lupin clapped, "excellent! Ron, you next!"

Weasley lept forward.

_Crack!_

Quite a few students screamed at this transformation. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in thick, dark brown hair, was advancing on Weasley, clicking its pincers menacingly. Kaelix was impressed by the threatening creature that stood before them. It was, in her opinion, the most frightening transformation of the day so far. But still, was a giant spider really the worst thing he could imagine?

Fear isn't always a rational thing, and some fears are deep rooted from trauma. But these fears, these supposedly innermost terrors seemed superficial. Was a mummy more terrifying than being buried alive? Is the scream of a banshee more chilling than the echos of your own tormented screams? And would a giant spider really be more horrifying than watching your entire family die? If the boggart really wanted to scare you, what could be more terrifying than a fear that you didn't even realize you had?

For a moment, Kaelix thought Weasley had frozen, but then-

" _Riddikulus!_ " he yelled, and at that the spider's legs vanished; it rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way, which only served to increase the laughter.

The rolling, legless body came to a halt partway between Kaelix and Potter. She felt eyes on her and when she looked she found Professor Lupin had turned his gaze toward her. It was there again, that brief flash of recognition, as if he knew her face from some other time or place but he still couldn't figure out where. His gaze hardened a bit, searching her, almost as if he hoped to learn the answer by simply looking hard enough.

He broke eye contact, glancing over toward Potter and then back at her again.

"Kaelix, you're up." he called out to her, in spite of the fact that Potter was closer to the boggart than she was.

She stepped forward as Potter simultaneously stepped back with a bit of anger present on his face. Though whether it was directed at Kaelix or at Professor Lupin for seemingly passing him over, she wasn't sure. She drew a deep breath, her wand felt like cold dead weight in her hand.

_Crack!_

Her breath caught in her throat and she nearly choked. The boggart hadn't turned into a severed limb, a towering spider, or a menacing teacher. It didn't take on the form of a dementor, nor her own glowing image. It hadn't even transform into any of the other possibilities she had thought up. The boggart had chosen something entirely different. At first there was a hazy mass of indistinguishable forms that were emitting a dull hum of whispers. The entire class fell silent around Kaelix but she took no notice, she was wondering why the boggart had chosen this, what was so terrifying about this form? There was something familiar about the mass of undefined faces. When the haze began to shift and form a more solid figure at its center she knew without a doubt why this was familiar. Though she was still uncertain why the boggart had chosen this shape, it hadn't even occurred to her because it wasn't something that scared her, it only angered her.

The room was feeling much, much warmer than it had moments ago and Kaelix wished for the chill of the Potions classroom in the dungeon. The boy's form was clearly defined now and she felt a bead of sweat trickle down her temple.

"Ow!" someone called out behind her.

She paid no attention, she'd felt heat like this once before, on the train. A few more students called out in pain behind her. The boy's eyes bored into her with an unwavering stare. Her vision was wavering. More and more voices were calling out and she couldn't tell if they were the students behind her or the hazy forms in front of her.

"How could you?!" the boy screamed at her as his feet burst into flames.

Professor Lupin stumbled somewhere on her left. The boy's eyes were all she saw. The heat was all she felt.

"Here!" shouted Professor Lupin suddenly, throwing himself between her and the boy.

_Crack!_

The little boy was gone. Kaelix felt like she was about to pass out from the heat, she closed her eyes against a dizzy spell that threatened to overwhelm her. A wave of cold washed over her and pulsed outward, dissipating quickly. For a moment everyone looked wildly around to see where the boggart had gone. Then they saw a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said, " _riddikulus_ " almost lazily and the boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone. Kaelix shivered from the cold as she heard the echo of the cries of pain again as the wisps faded away.

The whole room was silent except for the labored breathing of a few students.

"Very good!" said Professor Lupin as the class regained their bearings, not quite sure what had happened. "Well done, everyone… Let me see… five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the boggart."

"Who was that boy?" someone asked from the back of the class.

Kaelix kept her head down but she still felt the other students glancing her way with questioning looks.

"Homework," Professor Lupin said lightly, "kindly read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me… to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

Everyone slowly began shuffling toward the door. Kaelix bent down and scooped up her wand that she hadn't even noticed she dropped. Professor Lupin was looking at her curiously and Potter was looking at her suspiciously. She made for the door as quickly as possible.

"What was that, Williams?" Potter called after her.

"Damn it, Potter, would you just mind your own business." she snapped over her shoulder and hurried back toward Gryffindor tower.


	8. Babysitter, Resource, or Friend?

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

Chapter Eight: Babysitter, Resource, or Friend?

The day following the boggart incident Kaelix received many curious glances and awkward stares. She was also the topic of several whispered conversations. If there were students who hadn't noticed a new third year among the Gryffindors they certainly noticed her now. Evidently news of what had happened during her first Defense Against the Dark Arts class had spread not only through the whole of Gryffindor house but through the other houses as well. No one had come right out and asked her about it, even though she could tell many of them wanted to, but most everyone wanted to know who and what exactly her boggart had turned into, they didn't seem at all concerned about her inability to cast the defensive spell. Even Potter hadn't broached the subject with her, at least not yet, but she had caught him staring at her several times throughout the day.

"That will be all for today," Professor McGonagall said, concluding their last lesson of the week. "Remember to finish the Animagi homework that is due at the start of next class."

The class packed up their things rather quickly in anticipation of the weekend. Potter was watching Kaelix again while Weasley moaned something in his ear. Kaelix kept her gaze down, hoping that if she avoided eye contact he would just leave her alone like she'd asked. She pulled her bookbag over her shoulder and made for the exit, he moved to intercept, she quickened her stride.

"Miss Williams, I need to see you a moment." said Professor McGonagall just before Potter reached her.

He stopped in his tracks, still eyeing her suspiciously. She turned and quickly made her way over to Professor McGonagall, relaxing as the prospect of another conversation with Potter dissipated.

"Yes, Professor?" Kaelix asked.

"Two things, Miss Williams. First, I understand that you've been thrown into the deep end of the pond already and might be a bit overwhelmed. Please feel free to take an extra lesson to complete your homework if you need to. I am also available if you need any assistance with this class material or any other."

Kaelix nodded, "thank you very much, Professor, I greatly appreciate that but I'm sure I can get the assignment completed and ready to hand in with the rest of the class."

Professor McGonagall looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes and pursed lips as if sizing her up, "very well, Miss Williams. The second matter is that Headmaster Dumbledore requested to see you after class today. He asked that I show you to his office, if you'll follow me please." said Professor McGonagall as she turned and briskly made her way out of the classroom.

Potter was waiting just outside the classroom, presumably to catch Kaelix off guard and interrogate her about yesterday's class. He was deterred by the presence of Professor McGonagall though and moved off with his friends in the opposite direction. It occurred to Kaelix that this impromptu meeting with the Old Man might be about what had happened in yesterday's Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Once they were a bit farther down the corridor and she was absolutely certain that Potter and his friends were out of earshot she asked, "have I done something wrong?"

"Not at all, I believe the Headmaster just wants to check in and see that you're getting along." replied Professor McGonagall.

Kaelix nodded, she didn't have any desire or need to 'check in' with anyone but she thought it best not to be so blunt in front of the stern Head of Gryffindor House.

They walked a bit farther and ascended a few smaller staircases before they came upon a statue of a rather hideous looking gargoyle.

"Sherbert Lemon." Professor McGonagall said to the statue.

The gargoyle promptly came to life and jumped out of their way, revealing a spiraling stone staircase, much like the portrait of the fat lady would swing forward to reveal the entrance to Gryffindor tower.

"Follow the stairs up to the Headmaster's office, you'll find him within. Good evening, Miss Williams." the echo of her sharp footsteps quickly faded as she disappeared back around the corner from where they came.

Kaelix climbed the winding staircase, eventually losing track of how many times she'd gone full circle. When she came to a landing at the top she faced double solid oak doors. Just as she raised her hand to knock, she heard a click and the door swung open entirely on its own revealing the large circular room beyond.

The room was smaller than she'd expected, though it might appear larger if there wasn't so much stuff occupying it. There were several portraits hanging around the room, all of which appeared to be sleeping, though Kaelix suspected at least some of them were quite awake after catching one peeking an eye open at her. Straight across from her was an enormous, claw-footed desk with a tall backed chair. There were several little spindle-legged tables, each containing an assortment of delicate looking silver instruments. Some of the instruments made quiet whirring noises while others emitted small puffs of silver smoke. Among the packed bookshelves she noticed a shabby, worn looking wizard's hat occupying one shelf, it could only be the sorting hat. There was a gold sort of stand that might have been a bird's perch. Next to that was a pedestal with a large silver bowl, when Kaelix stepped forward to take a closer look she saw an image begin to form through the haziness at the surface.

"Ah, Miss Williams, thank you for taking the time to see me." he said as if she had the option to refuse.

Kaelix turned just in time to see a bookcase swinging back into place. The Old Man must have a secret passage or two hidden in his office. She turned back toward the bowl but the image she'd seen beginning to form was gone, erased by a thicker mist covering the contents of the bowl.

"So, how are things going so far? Now that you've had your first full week of classes." he asked, taking a seat at his desk and indicating that she should take one of the chairs across from him.

"Things have been… interesting, so far." she replied.

"Very good," he smiled but it didn't make it all the way to his eyes, which were studying her intently from behind his spectacles, "very good indeed"

"Well, I've just a couple things to discuss with you and then you can be on your way. You might have heard a few whispers of a place called Hogsmeade from some of your classmates. Hogsmeade is a small wizarding village not too far from here, the train station where you were dropped off at the start of term is part of the village. There are an assortment of shops, pubs, and other places to explore. As a third year you have the opportunity to visit the village on select weekends, provided you have your parent or guardian's permission." he explained.

"That might be a bit difficult, considering they don't know where I really am." she said.

He nodded, "that is true, but as luck would have it Brighton College offers similar weekend outings, which they have granted you permission to attend. I don't see why that permission shouldn't transfer to our Hogsmeade weekends." he was smiling, as if his solution had been extremely clever when in fact it was the most obvious.

"Does Brighton College really offer special weekend outings?" she asked.

"According to the signed permission form your parents returned to us they do."

The foster parents already believed that she was going to an ordinary boarding school instead of the extraordinary magic school she was actually attending, so why not ask their permission for a field trip that doesn't exist at a school she wasn't attending. Though considering they had no idea what they were really permitting, it seemed silly to go through the formality of getting them to sign a meaningless slip of parchment for it.

"And what happens if they decide to look into these field trips?" she asked.

"We have measures in place." was his simple reply.

Lying. That's what he meant. Or using magic to deceive them. Kaelix wasn't interested in how the Penbury's were treated except in how it reflected on the Old Man's character. If he would lie about something like this, something so insignificant. then what else was he willing to lie about? What else was he  _already_  lying about?

"So that's all settled," his voice broke her thoughts, "you may participate in the Hogsmeade weekends with the other students if you desire. I believe the first trip will take place the weekend of Halloween."

Kaelix nodded in acknowledgement.

"Now there is the matter of catching you up on the coursework you've missed from the first and second year curriculum. I've arranged for you to have extra lessons a few evenings a week to help with that."

"I can do it on my own, I don't need a babysitter." she said quietly.

"Don't think of him as a babysitter. Think of him as more of a resource, someone you can go to with any questions you may have."

"Wouldn't it be more beneficial to ask the professor of the subject I have questions about?"

"I thought it would be more beneficial if you didn't have to go around to each individual professor with your questions, but instead had one universal resource. I think you'll find he is quite proficient in all the core subjects."

"And who might this proficient resource be?"

"I believe you've already met, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin."

Of course it would be him.

"We had class yesterday." she said.

"Excellent, then you have already met and you know where his classroom is." he smiled.

"I mean no disrespect but does it have to be Professor Lupin? Couldn't it be Professor McGonagall, she is head of my house after all."

His brow furrowed a bit, "Professor Lupin has already graciously agreed to do this for you and on very short notice. Is there some reason you do not wish to work with him?"

"No, I have no reason." At least, not one that would matter.

"Very well, then you will meet with Professor Lupin after dinner this evening and sort out an arrangement that works for both of you. Do you have any questions about this or anything else?" he asked.

She started to shake her head but then something fell out of her mouth before she could fully formulate the question in her mind.

"I know that before you said you didn't know why my letter didn't make it to me by my eleventh birthday, but one of the other students made it seem like it was nearly impossible to not receive it. Have you had any new thoughts about that?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I haven't. Have you?" the question felt empty.

"I was wondering if you thought it might have been affected by the fire?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what fire you're talking about, though I doubt it would have had any effect on our delivery system." his smile still didn't make it to his eyes, something about his expression was forced; he was lying to her.

For a moment she considered calling him on it. He obviously knew more than he was telling her, but why was he hiding it in the first place? What did he stand to gain by keeping it a secret? Unless it wasn't about what he gained, but what she would gain if she knew? There was no point in asking, he made that perfectly clear with his blatant deceit.

"Good evening," she said with a nod and turned to leave.

As the door was swinging closed she heard an unfamiliar voice ask, "is she the one Albus?"

The door swung shut before he responded leaving Kaelix to wonder what his answer was and what 'one' the unfamiliar voice was referring to.

After spending a few hours in the library working on homework, Kaelix reluctantly made her way to the Great Hall for some dinner. She wasn't interested in receiving any more awkward stares, or hearing her name whispered among small groups of gossiping students. But the most deterring thing was the thought of running into Potter and his nosey tendencies. He'd already tried to ask about what happened twice, he was probably thinking third time's the charm by now. She considered skipping dinner altogether and just hiding out in the quiet library until she was due for her private lessons but her growling stomach quickly pushed that thought away.

The Great Hall wasn't as packed as she'd expected it to be and a quick scan of the Gryffindor table told her that Potter and his gang weren't there yet. She might just make it out of there with a full stomach and without an inquiry. She found a spot at the table some distance away from any of her housemates so as not to overhear any conversations that might be revolving around her, though she could still see the occasional side-eye glances that were directed her way. As she began scooping food onto her plate one of her fellow third years approached.

"Do you mind?" He asked timidly.

It was Neville Longbottom, the boy whose worst fear in the whole world was Professor Snape. Kaelix shook her head. He sat down with a somewhat nervous smile. Kaelix glanced sideways down the table and caught a group of girls exchanging whispers and pointed glances her way.

"Don't worry, they'll find something else to talk about tomorrow." said Neville. "They never stay on the same thing for more than a week anyway, but I heard that Dean was planning on breaking it off with Parvati so that will be the gossip soon."

She looked back down at her food, a small smile gracing her lips. She wasn't sure if this Dean was planning on breaking it off with Parvati or whether it would actually distract the gossip train from her apparently unusual display in Defense Against the Dark Arts Class but she appreciated the effort he made to make her feel better. Then she was struck by a thought.

"Can I ask you something?" she said looking up at Neville.

"Me?" he dropped his knife and biscuit.

She gave a small nod.

"Yeah." he almost stuttered.

"Why does Professor Snape scare you so much?" she asked.

Neville mumbled something incoherently, his cheeks flushed, and he became very interested in his plate.

"Well whatever the reason," she went on, "I think you have a bit of an advantage over him now."

He looked up from his plate with a furrowed brow.

"You now have a very clear image of him dressed in those ridiculous clothes and he can't take that away from you. Next time you're feeling nervous just picture him like that. Maybe it'll help you relax so that you can brew your potion correctly."

His expression softened and he grinned, "thanks, I'll try that."

She smiled back, hopefully that would put him at ease in potions class. Professor Snape could be a bit intimidating but there wasn't anything really terrifying about him, at least not that she knew. She saw someone approaching out of the corner of her eye. She didn't have to look to know who it was, he was there before she could get up from her seat.

"Williams," for all his determined approach and the demanding way he said her name, he faltered at what to say next but scrambled for something, "you better not be messing with Neville."

She heaved a sigh, "I'm not in the mood to deal with your poor assumptions, Potter."

"Are you ever going to explain what happened in class yesterday?" he asked.

"If you need help understanding class material, you'll have to ask one of your friends. I don't offer tutoring services." she replied.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. What was that thing that the boggart turned into for you?"

"It's not a question of what, Potter, it's a question of who and if I had any desire to share that information with you then I already would have."

"So if it was just some boy then why are you afraid of him?"

"Not all of us are lucky enough to have spiders be our greatest fear." she shot at him. "What would your boggart have turned into, if you'd gotten the chance to step forward? What's your greatest fear, Potter?"

He clenched his jaw a bit and didn't answer.

"Not so fun when you're the one being interrogated, is it?"

"Williams." Malfoy called from the end of the table as he turned to come their way.

Weasley groaned, "Harry, let's just go. It's not worth talking to Malfoy."

"I heard that, Weasel, and I didn't come over here to talk to you anyway." he said with a sneer, then turning to Kaelix, "why don't you come sit with us? We've better manners than your housemates seem to."

Weasley snorted, "yeah right."

"Just because she talks to you doesn't mean she's going to sit at Slytherin's table, Malfoy." Potter said.

"Actually, I think I am," she abandoned her plate of barely touched food and followed Malfoy over to the Slytherin table, silently revelling in Potter's incredulous expression at her decision.

She was not oblivious to the extra stares and looks of disgust as she took a seat next to Malfoy, it seemed every house was intrigued by her table swap. But if it meant she didn't have to deal with Potter, it was worth it.

"What's she doing here, Malfoy?" another Slytherin asked.

"She's with me." was his simple yet firm reply.

Most of them accepted his answer and went back to their meals but there were still a few suspicious glances sent her way. Though nothing like the contemptuous look that Potter was now sending her way from back at the Gryffindor table.

"So what happened in your Defense Against the Dark Arts class the other day? I keep hearing these crazy stories." Malfoy asked.

Kaelix rolled her eyes, just when she thought she'd escaped interrogation for the evening.

"Doesn't anyone mind their own business around here, why are you all so curious about my stupid boggart?" she muttered.

"Your boggart? I was talking about Longbottom's boggart, turning Professor Snape into his grandmother." he said with an expression of disgust.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were talking about something else."

He leaned toward her under the guise of reaching for a roll and said just loud enough for her to hear, "I heard about the other thing too, you can tell me if you like but I'm not going to interrogate you about it."

"Thanks, maybe another time." she said.

He nodded in acknowledgement and true to his word did not mention it for the rest of dinner. It was almost comical how much more comfortable she felt sitting at the Slytherin table than she did at her own. Although if it wasn't for Potter's incessant need to watch her and question her maybe the Gryffindor table would seem more welcoming.

"What about you, Williams?" Malfoy was asking something.

"Green." she answered.

"What?"

"Wrong answer?"

"You didn't hear the question did you?"

She shook her head.

"Do you play quidditch or are you more the spectator type?"

"That's the game with the flying broomsticks right?"

A few of the other Slytherin students snickered at her question.

"Where did you come from that you've never heard of quidditch before, out from under a rock?" a familiar nasally voice asked.

Many of the other students snickered at her comment.

"Yeah, I think we were neighbors weren't we?" Kaelix asked, flashing a smile.

Now the snickers were aimed at Pansy instead of her.

"Careful, Pansy, Williams barks back." said Malfoy.

Kaelix didn't miss the piercing daggers that Pansy shot her way at Malfoy's words. Although there were others that didn't join in the laughter, Pansy was the only one who looked angry. Was she that upset by Kaelix's comment or was there something more?

"Honestly, though, do you play?" Malfoy asked Kaelix again.

She shook her head, "flying broomsticks aren't really my thing."

"That's too bad. You'll have to come watch the matches, at least the ones I'm in." he smirked at her which only seemed to intensify the scathing gaze she was still receiving from Pansy.

Kaelix had had enough, she was just about out of tolerance for the day and she still had to meet with Professor Lupin for an hour.

"We'll see, I have to get going." She said, rising from her seat.

"Don't hurry back." Pansy said with a sneer.

She turned back toward the table and could see Malfoy sizing her up from the corner of her eye, no doubt wondering how she would handle such a comment.

"I can't think of a single reason why you would be threatened by me. Are you so insecure that you have to attack me to make yourself feel important?" she didn't wait for an answer or try to distinguish any of the comments that erupted from the table.

She made her way straight to Professor Lupin's office on the 3rd floor. The door to his office was open and he was sitting behind his desk, hunched over a stack of papers. He was focused so intently on them that he didn't hear her approach. She knocked lightly and he looked up.

"Good afternoon, Kaelix."

She nodded in return, opting to wait for further invitation to enter; he didn't seem at all prepared for her.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked, the now familiar look of uncertain recognition still present in his eyes.

For a split second Kaelix considered saying no and walking out; if he didn't even remember their appointment then he clearly wasn't as interested in helping her as the Old Man had made it seem.

But her conscience got the better of her and she asked, "the Headmaster said he spoke with you about some extra lessons?"

"Yes, of course but that's not until this evening..." he trailed off.

Kaelix remained silent as Professor Lupin shifted his gaze out the window to see the sun sinking down, a clear indication that afternoon had already turned to evening.

"Oh dear, I seem to have lost track of the hour. Please, come in and have a seat." he indicated the chair across from him. "I feel as though I owe you an apology. I didn't realize that this was your first year here, if I had known I never would have called you forward to take on a boggart on the first day of class."

"Don't worry about it." she said hoping he would drop the subject and not probe any further.

"Well, other than that how has your first week gone?"

Other than the mild stalking she'd been subjected to, "fine," she said.

"Good, good. When I spoke with Professor Dumbledore he asked that we try to get you caught up by the end of the school year, which means covering two years worth of material in half that time in addition to your current course work. Do you think you're up for that?"

"I think I can handle it."

"Excellent. I think these one on one lesson will allow us to move at a pretty good pace, faster than a regular class would allow."

"When the Old Man told me that I would be two years behind for my age, he didn't mention I would be required to do private tutoring to catch up."

"Well, when he asked me to take over as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, he didn't mention that I would be required to do any private tutoring either. It seems we've each received an unexpected assignment." he gave her a weak smile. "I devised a schedule I thought would work well for both of us, I thought we'd meet here after dinner three times a week for an hour or so. We'll cover Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions on Mondays; History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology on Wednesdays; and leave Fridays for a mix of Astronomy, flying lessons, and other activities, as well as reviewing any material you have questions about.

"Transfiguration and Charms we can discuss and practice here in my office or the classroom if we need more space. From what I understand your classmates haven't had much in the way of Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons in their first and second years. Something about the previous professors not being well suited for it." he shook his head. "At any rate I'll be covering a bit of the first and second year material in that class so we won't need to spend as much of our time on that class. I've spoken with Professor Snape about borrowing his classroom to brew a few potions but he informed me that you've already successfully brewed a third year level potion?"

She nodded.

"Impressive, I don't see any reason to waste your time brewing simpler potions but we'll still spend some time discussing them. Most of Astronomy can be covered through reading with a lesson or two in the tower. Herbology will be similar with a few trips to the greenhouse. And then I suppose we'll have to find a day to head out onto the grounds for a flying lesson. How does that sound?"

Evidently, he was more prepared than Kaelix had initially thought, "sounds good to me," she said.

"Good. I thought tonight we'd just discuss the subjects a bit, maybe give you some reading to do over the weekend. Do you have any questions before we begin?" he asked.

"Yes I do," he nodded, indicating she should continue, "who is it that you see every time you look at me?"

"What?" he asked taken aback.

"I can tell by your expression, it's like you recognize me but at the same time you don't. Who is it you think I look like?"

Of all the questions he expected her to have, he clearly hadn't been expecting that one, "I'm not sure actually, I've been trying to figure that out myself since we met. When I saw you that first time on the train I felt like I'd seen you before, met you even."

"Then why did you look disappointed when I first told you my name?"

"I wasn't disappointed exactly, I just- I was almost certain I would recognize you by your name."

"But you didn't."

"No," he said as his eyes traced Kaelix's features once more as if trying to see something he had missed before. A moment passed.

"Professor Lupin?"

He shook himself, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"You're not. I was just curious."

"Right. Well, I'm sure you already have some idea about each subject from your first week of classes. You have all the first year books, I gather?" she nodded. "You can start by reading the first chapter or two of each subject before our next lesson, feel free to take notes if you'd like but it's by no means required. Something wrong?"

"Not exactly, it's just, I've already read some of that."

"Oh, that's great, you've gotten a bit of a head start then. What have you read?"

"All of it, actually."

"Really?"

She nodded, "I read the first few chapters of each book, more than that in a few of them."

"Then you have an even better idea of the subjects than I thought. Well if that's the case, would you like to jump right in and try a few spells?"

"Sure."

He leaned back in his chair and retrieved his wand from the desk, "the thing about casting spells is that they're all a bit different in what's required. The charm to defeat a boggart, for example, requires a simple flick of the wand but a strong mental image of something amusing. Whereas the levitation spell,  _wingardium leviosa,_ " he said, moving his wand in a swishing motion far different than the simple flick of the  _riddikulus_ charm, "requires very precise pronunciation and wand movement.

"Did you read up on the  _lumos_ charm?"

" _Lumos,_ the Wand-Lighting Charm turns the caster's wand into an ever burning torch, the tip emits a constant light source until extinguished by the counter-charm,  _nox,_  the Wand-Extinguishing Charm. Modifiers include  _duo, maxima,_ and  _solem._ "

Professor Lupin smiled, "so you have. Why don't you give it a go?"

Kaelix retrieved her own wand from within her robes, it felt cold and heavy in her hand; an ordinary piece of wood. And yet, with one simple word it could illuminate the entire room. It was odd, foreign, a thing of fairy tales. Even after all that she'd seen, it still seemed absurd to her that a flick and a single word would magically light the end of her little stick. But that's exactly how magic worked.

She took a breath and almost whispered, " _lumos_."

Nothing happened. A part of her, the skeptical part, wasn't surprised. She looked toward Professor Lupin who gestured for her to try again.

" _Lumos_." she said again.

Still nothing.

" _Lumos._ " she tried a bit more forcefully.

Still nothing.

" _Lumos_." she said sharply.

Nothing.

"Am I doing something wrong?" she asked with a sigh.

He shook his head, "don't try to force it, that won't end well for either of us. Just relax, try to feel it."

"Feel what?" she asked, irritated at the vagueness of his instruction.

"The spell, it should feel… warm."

Kaelix shifted her gaze back to her wand. Warm, it should feel warm. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and took a breath trying to relax. At first there was nothing, then it was there. More distant and less intense but still familiar. Warm, she should have known. Her eyes opened, her focus solely on her wand.

" _Lumos_ ," she commanded softly.

And just like that the tip of her wand burst to life, glowing brightly even in the well lit office. She cracked a smile and looked up to see Professor Lupin doing the same.

"Good." he said. "Now put it out."

She didn't have to close her eyes to find the warmth this time, it was right there waiting for her.

" _Nox._ " she said and out went the light.

"Excellent, shall we try another?" he asked.

She nodded, trying not to appear too eager. Professor Lupin stood and made his way around to his office door, motioning for her to follow as he went. They stood just beyond the doorway and he closed it behind them.

"I assume you read up on the Locking and Unlocking Charms," he said. "Give it a try."

With the familiar warmth still lingering at the edge of her awareness, Kaelix raised her wand and with a quick flick said, " _colloportus."_

The audible click of the lock indicated she was successful.

Without waiting for direction from Professor Lupin, she proceeded to unlock it with a simple, " _alohomora._ "

Again the click of the lock indicated success.

"First try, well done. Try it a few more times." he directed.

So she did.  _Colloportus, click, alohomora, click, colloportus, click, alohomora, click._

"Alright, how about something a bit more challenging?" asked Professor Lupin, leading her back inside his office.

He did not return to his seat but instead stood next to his desk and looked about the room, searching for something.

"Ah, this will do." he said as he retrieved an empty ink pot from a book shelf and placed it on the desk. "I'd like you to try  _avifors_  on this ink pot. Now this spell may be a bit trickier than the previous few, as is the nature of a transfiguration. Casting charms like  _lumos_  and  _colloportus_  tends to be black and white by nature; your wand lights or it doesn't, the door locks or it doesn't, there is no inbetween. Whereas transfiguration spells have the potential to land in the grey area. For example trying to transfigure a matchstick into a needle you might end up with a silver match or a wooden needle, neither one quite being what you wanted. Do you follow?"

"My attempt at  _avifors_  on that ink pot could result in anything from a feathered ink pot to a singing glass bird. How do you make sure it turns out to be a fully feathered bird?" she asked.

"The key to most transfiguration spells is precise wand movement and a clear image of only what you want the object to turn into, not what it currently is. You must think only of a bird, if any part of your mind is focused on the ink pot then you'll land in the grey zone."

"So I have to focus on turning an ink pot into a bird without actually focusing on the ink pot."

"Precisely. A spell like  _avifors_  can turn any object into bird, but you must use your wand to stipulate what gets transfigured, not your mind. Ready?"

She nodded and he took a step back.

Kaelix focused on the image of a bird she'd drawn up in her mind's eye and visualised the wand movement once more before initiating the spell.

" _Avifors."_ she said forcefully as she slashed a sideways figure eight through mid-air.

But at the last second she looked beyond her wand to the ink pot and her concentration slipped. A dull jet of blue light seeped from her wand tip, and circled the ink pot before fizzling out. The ink pot remained exactly the same. Professor Lupin was right, this spell was a bit trickier than the charms she'd already successfully done.

"Try again." he said.

She refocused on the bird and held her wand up again, " _avifors,"_  she said as she waved her wand through the air.

This time she kept her mind entirely on the bird, not even focusing her eyes on the ink pot. The jet of light that spilled out of her wand tip was more grey than blue, though it moved toward the ink pot faster and circled it twice before disappearing. Leaving behind the faintest shade of blue in the ink pot. Kaelix frowned, why wasn't this working?

Professor Lupin gave a small flick of his wand and the ink pot returned to it's original un-tinted state, "I told you transfiguration is a bit trickier, it may take a few tries yet. Go again."

Kaelix tried again. And again. And again. And again. She tried so many times she lost count of which try she was on, she must have passed a dozen by now. Professor Lupin remained positive, assuring her that she was making progress, but the closest thing to a bird she'd managed to get was a feathery blue ink pot with wings that had tried to escape. She wasn't sure how much longer her patience would last.

"Why don't you give it one more go and then we'll call it a night." he said.

She agreed, though she wasn't hopeful that this attempt would turn out better than any of the previous ones. With a deep breath she tried to push the negativity from her mind; if she was going to try once more then she might as well actually put some effort into it. She cleared her mind and that's when she felt the warmth again, hovering there at the edge of her awareness. Initially she'd had to focus on it to perform the  _lumos_  spell, and she remembered it being there faintly for the others as well. Was that it, did she need to focus more on that warmth and draw on it in order to perform this more complex transfiguration spell? It was worth a shot.

The instant the thought formulated in her mind, Kaelix could feel the warmth increase. She pictured the bird again; moved her wand through the air without having to think about the motion; kept her eyes unfocused, using only her peripherals to aim her wand.

" _Avifors,_ " she said.

A bright blue jet of light shot out of her wand, brighter than any other jet she'd managed to produce this evening. It circled the ink pot a few times, completely obscuring it in smoke and sparks. As the spell dissipated it revealed a small blue-glass bird poised to take flight. It was so lifelike that for a second Kaelix was sure it would jump up off the desk but no air filled its lungs; it did not live. She sighed, a bit disappointed that she still hadn't managed to get it right.

"This is wonderful, Kaelix." Professor Lupin said as he examined the bird up close. "You nearly had it that time. But let's stop here this evening. Sometimes it's best to take a break and try again when you're fresh in the morning." he smiled at her. "Continue reading in each of your books and practice each of these charms a bit over the weekend. I'm sure you'll have a successful  _avifors_  by our next meeting."

"Alright," she replied and gathered her bag up from the chair she'd left it in.

"Kaelix, these lessons are going to happen quite frequently throughout the year and I don't want them to be too formal. In an effort to make them a bit more relaxed and casual, I'd like to invite you to call me by my first name, Remus. I'm here to help you in anyway I can, not just as your professor. My door will always be open, unless of course I fall violently ill." he gave a tired smile.

"With all due respect, Professor, I think it would be a bit complicated to call you one thing during class and something different during lessons."

"Very well."

"Have a good rest of your evening." she turned to leave.

"It will get easier," he said in an attempt to lift her spirits, "I promise."

Kaelix froze, that word.

"You shouldn't," she replied quietly.

"I'm sorry?" he asked.

"You shouldn't make promises, at least not to me," she elaborated.

"May I ask why?"

She turned to face him, looking him straight in the eye, "has anyone ever made you a promise and then broken it?"

"At one time or another, sure." he said with a furrowed brow.

"Any that were particularly memorable?" she asked.

"None that immediately come to mind." he answered.

"You're lying," his expression did not change at her accusation but she continued on anyway, "you don't have to tell me what it was, just think about it. Think about the hope it gave you when that promise was made, and then how it felt when you realized that it was never going to come true."

Professor Lupin remained silent, her words had taken him a bit off guard and she could tell she was right; he had been lying.

"Making someone a promise is like saying you can control the world, and no one can do that." Her expression lacked emotion, these weren't feelings to her they were facts. "No one has that kind of control over anything, certainly not over themselves. Making a promise, the only thing that does is give false hope. All it is, is a distraction from the horrors of their life, but when the promise is broken, when the distraction is gone, all that's left is the horrible truth." Professor Lupin's expression was stricken and Kaelix wondered if he realized that her words were more than just the ramblings of a teenage girl, they were the truth. "And I think based on your expression, you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"I do." He said. "Better than I'd like to admit."

A moment of silence passed between them and Kaelix wasn't sure whether he would continue or not, but then he did.

"My best friends made a promise that meant the world to me, and I can easily say that it was one of the happiest moments of my life. They did manage to keep it for a long time; they were there for me every- every time I needed them." His eyes were no longer focused on any part of the present as he relived whatever memory Kaelix had called to the forefront of his mind. "Until one day they weren't, and I was alone again. And what's worse is I still don't understand why."

Kaelix remained silent; though the sadness in his voice and expression seemed genuine, she wasn't entirely convinced that this wasn't some sort of attempt at forming some sort of connection with her. Professor Lupin looked up at her as if seeing her for the first time; his eyes flashed with recognition just as they had the first time they met. He still couldn't figure out where he recognized her from.

"Well, enough reminiscing for one evening." He said dismissively. "I supposed if they really mean nothing to you, then I won't make you any more promises."

"Good."

"Is there anything else that I should know about, anything else that's off limits?"

"I despise lying. If we're going to be spending all this time together, you can't lie to me about anything. No half-truths, no white lies, no 'knowing what's best' for me. Just tell the truth, and we can at least get along well enough for these lessons."

"That seems fair, as long as you don't lie to me either."

"I won't."

"Same time Monday." Professor Lupin said.

"I'll be here." she replied.


	9. Intuition

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

Chapter 9: Intuition

The weeks passed and the weather turned darker, gloomier as winter was quickly approaching. Though the changing weather did nothing to dampen the atmosphere around the school. Most of students were rather excited about their new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Lupin was much more qualified for the job than their previous few professors had been, if the rumors Kaelix had heard were to be believed. Several students went as far as to declare it their favorite class, but Kaelix wasn't prepared to agree with them. Though she was relieved that the conversation surround the class was focused on the professor and his competency rather than her rather interest boggart from the first week.

The mysterious buring boy was old news. Neville had been right, Dan or Dave or something had broken it off with his girlfriend that very weekend, and that was all it took for her peculiar boggart to be forgotten by everyone. Well, most everyone anyway. Even though Potter hadn't asked her about it in weeks, she had a feeling he was still thinking about it. Every now and again she still caught him watching her, waiting for another opportunity.

Fortunately he wasn't around much to find an opportunity. The quidditch thing had started up and he was Gryffindor's star player. They practiced several nights a week, which meant several nights that she didn't have to worry about getting pounced on in the common room or stared at during dinner. A few times she'd sat with the Slytherin's again she'd felt his eye boring into her from across the room. Sometimes she glared right back at him until he resigned, other times she ignored him altogether. But the quidditch team practiced several nights a week and practice sessions were set to increase in frequency soon, ahead of the first match of the season.

Malfoy had informed Kaelix of the tournament style competition for the Quidditch Cup and she'd listened to every detail, well mostly every detail. They'd remained casual acquaintances thus far, she hadn't agreed with what said about purebloods being better, or the nonsense attempt to get Professor Hagrid fired, but he was easy to put up with. Most of the time. Though with few classes together, him being on the Slytherin quidditch team, her extra lessons, and them being in separate houses, they didn't actually spend that much time together.

Her extra lessons with Professor Lupin weren't as bad as she had initially thought they might be. Her first impression of the professor had left her dreading them, thinking that he'd try to be her friend rather than her teacher. Especially after that nonsense about calling him by his given name. But so far he had been all business, educating her only and not trying to pry into her personal life story or force his own onto her. It might have been annoyingly spiteful if it had been anyone else but he wasn't putting her on, he was genuine. From their interactions over the past few weeks she'd gathered that he was straightforward and to the point but not in a harsh way. He didn't like to waste time or effort on frivolousness. Although, he did seem to be perpetually exhausted and occasionally she wondered if he considered sleep a frivolous activity as well.

Part way through October there was a spectacle in the Gryffindor Common Room one evening, someone's pet rabbit had died, poor thing had been eaten by a fox. Her housemate was in tears over it. The intriguing part of the event that her fellow divination classmates were saying Professor Trelawney had predicted it. On that first day of class she'd told one of the Patil girls, Kaelix could never remember which twin was in her house and which was in Ravenclaw, that the thing they were dreading would happen on the 16th of October. Now a significant portion of their class was irrevocably convinced that she was a true seer and that anything she predicted would come true. Kaelix was still firmly with the skeptical portion of the class.

As Halloween drew nearer the school began to buzz with excitement for the first Hogsmeade trip, which would be the same weekend as the first quidditch match. Her fellow third years were the most excited, this being the first year that they were allowed the opportunity to visit the village. The older students weren't quite as animated in their excitement, some of the nuance having worn off for them. Though apparently not every third year got to go, some hadn't received permission.

One day after Transfiguration class had ended, Kaelix saw Potter hang back and approach Professor McGonagall. She didn't catch their entire conversation as she slid out of the classroom, but she did hear enough to know that he would not be joining the rest of them for the weekend trip. Though she had no idea why his parents wouldn't have granted him permission for what seemed to be a perfectly normal school trip. Even she had been granted permission, although it had involved a fair amount of deceit on the Old Man's part, but her entire being here involved a fair amount of deceit.

By the time Halloween morning came around, Potter was looking quite morose at breakfast, glaring at everyone instead of just her and Malfoy for a change. Everyone else was chattering away about where they were going to go first and what they were going to buy.

"Staying here, Potter?" Malfoy taunted as his made his way across the courtyard. "Scared of passing by the dementors?"

Potter and his friends did their best to ignore him but Weasley shot a scathing glance at his back.

"Why do you do that?" she asked as he approached.

He shrugged, "It's amusing."

She scoffed and shook her head, "You have a poor sense of humor then," she said, turning to make her way into a carriage.

"What? Are you suddenly defending him now?" Malfoy asked, with perhaps a bit more bite than intended.

"No, I'm not defending him specifically. I don't understand why you treat anyone like that," she said offhandedly.

"I treat everyone like that. It was just a bit of fun. Relax, Williams, you're still my favorite Gryffindor to tease if that's what you're worried about," he said with a bit of a grin.

She rolled her eyes and climbed into the carriage. "What an honor."

The carriage ride didn't take more than a few minutes and upon exiting at their destination Kaelix realized that they were back at the train station where the Hogwarts Express had dropped them off at the start of term. It had a much different look and feel about it in the daytime. Without the lingering penetrating cold of a dementor encounter.

She and Malfoy moved with the mass of students departing the station. Crabbe and Goyle were missing this morning, she didn't ask after them. As she rounded the station and caught sight of the village for the first time she stopped short, it looked like something straight off of a holiday postcard. A quaint little village of stone buildings with thatched roofs; candle lit lanterns glowing in the windows; wooden signs swaying in the wind; and the cobbled street clopping beneath footsteps. There was a crispness in the air that hinted that snow wasn't far off.

"What's the matter, Williams?" Malfoy asked.

"What do you mean?" her gaze turning to him.

His brow furrowed, "You had this look about you."

"What look?"

"I don't know, you just looked… I don't know," he shook his head.

"It's about time you came to terms with it, I've been telling you that you don't know anything since the day we met," she said.

He smirked, "Says the girl who couldn't find the wand shop, didn't know what quidditch was and about half a dozen other things I could list."

"Where do we go first?" she asked.

"Oh, now you expect me to know things?"

"You're right, foolish of me. I'll lead the way," she said.

Despite her proclamation he made a show of walking around the little village with her, as if he were an experienced tour guide. They explored a magical instrument shop, Dervish and Banges; the post office, which was filled with hundreds of color coded owls; they spent a bit longer in Spintwitches where Malfoy insisted on explaining the basics of quidditch along with a show and tell of the latest and greatest gear. After that Kaelix insisted they explore Dominic Maestro's music shop, Malfoy had tried to skip over it which is exactly why she insisted they go in.

"That's boring, it's just a bunch of enchanted instruments making a racket," he complained.

"Not nearly as boring as listening to the pros and cons of soft leather versus hard leather finished quaffles. We'll only stay for a few minutes," she said, silently enjoying his continued protests more than she probably ought to.

Malfoy grumbled but followed her into the shop. After they spent what Kaelix deemed a sufficient amount of time as payback for all she'd endured in Spintwitches, they moved on. They spent some time in Zonko's Joke Shop next before moving onto Honeydukes.

"Oh, no. You're not taking me in there," she said.

"What, don't you like sweets?" he asked.

"I'm allergic to chocolate," she said.

"It won't kill you to be in the same room as it. And they have other things besides chocolate you know," he explained.

"Oh, I know. That much sugar in one place cannot be safe for anyone, it must be toxic in there," she argued.

"I'll bet you ten gallons that you can't last longer than 5 minutes in there?" he said.

For a moment she considered taking him up on the bet but then said with a smile, "I don't gamble, remember?"

She continued on down the street without waiting for him and he had to jog to catch up to her. They passed by a cauldron shop, a herbology shop, and even a local branch of Ollivanders wand shop. When they reached the end of the cobbled street and what appeared to be the edge of the village Kaelix made to turn around but Malfoy kept going.

"Where are you going? That's the end of the shops," she said.

"Come on, Williams, where's your sense of adventure?" he gestured for her to follow.

He led her along a worn but not well maintained path beyond the village boundary. She glanced back over her shoulder, not a single shop or village-goer in sight.

"Is this the part where you take me out into the woods to make it easier to hide my body?" she asked, only mostly joking.

"What?" he almost tripped looking back at her question.

"Nevermind," she said and shook her head.

"You say the weirdest stuff sometimes, you do know that right?" he said continuing on.

"I try to keep things interesting. Seriously though, where are we going?" she asked.

He halted and as she came up next to him he gestured beyond the fence they'd found. "That."

That was an old worn building that looked like a storm or maybe even a light breeze would bring it to the ground.

She glanced sideways at him and then back to the flimsy structure, "That is what you brought me here to see?"

He nodded.

"That ragged old shack? What's so special about it?" she asked.

"It's called the Shrieking Shack, and it's supposed to be haunted. It's meant to be the most frightening building in Britain. At least that's how the stories tell it," he said.

Kaelix looked again at the abandoned structure, her view now filtered through this new information. The small building looked like it had been there for centuries. The wood was weather worn and rotted; there were patches of missing shingles on the roof; and all of the visible doors and windows were completely boarded over. Ghosts frequented the halls of the castle, sometimes passing straight through the living without warning or having lengthy conversations with them. The idea that this small shack was frighteningly haunted seemed silly. And yet, even as it looked like it would collapse at any moment, there was something ominous about the way that the whole structure seemed to sway in the light breeze, as if the building itself were a living breathing thing.

"They say that some years ago you could hear screams coming from inside the shack at night. Rumor is they've started up again just recently," said Malfoy.

"Did anyone ever check to see if someone was trapped inside?" asked Kaelix.

"I don't think anyone wanted to find out. I think they were more comfortable believing that the place was haunted by the dead than that the sounds they heard could come from a living thing."

"Maybe it's haunted by a boggart," she suggested.

"I don't think so, boggarts tend to keep to themselves, stay out of sight as much as possible. They only react when they feel threatened."

"What about the Old Boggle of Canterbury, that boggart wholed itself up in a cave and then scared off anyone who came too close by manipulating echos within the cave?" she ventured.

"I suppose this could be similar. If no one approached the shack in years then maybe that's why they haven't heard any screams for so long. Or maybe the boggart just moved on," he shrugged.

"What would yours have been, if you'd gotten to face it?" she asked, knowing that her class had destroyed the boggart and the subsequent third years hadn't had the opportunity.

"Mine?"

"No, I'm sorry, I was talking to whatever is currently haunting the shack," she said.

He made a face at her sarcasm. "Alright, but if I tell you mine then you have to tell me about yours, deal?"

She hesitated for a moment before agreeing, "Deal."

"Alright," he took a deep breath, leaning against the fence. "My boggart would be," he paused as if to brace himself, "a flesh eating slug."

Kaelix just stared at him for a moment. "Wow, a flesh eating slug, that's-" she resisted the urge to scoff, "that's enlightening."

"Have you ever thought about the prospect of being eaten alive by hundreds of those little flesh eating things? Horrible way to go," he said shaking his head. "Now then, what's yours?"

Now she did laugh, the wind tugging some of her dark hair loose and sending it whirling across her face. She tucked the rogue strands back behind her ear and said, "No."

"What do you mean no? We had a deal, you can't go back on a deal. You have to tell me," he said, pushing off the fence to face her squarely.

"We did have a deal, but if you lie about your end of it then the deal is off." She pulled her cloak tighter in an effort to combat the chilly breeze sweeping through.

"I wasn't lying," he argued, "that's really what my boggart would be."

She shook her head, a bit of her damn hair coming loose again, she should have tied it back. "If you don't want to tell me the truth, that's fine, but I'm not an idiot. There's no way that flesh eating slugs are your biggest fear. That's a joke. You might have at least put some decent effort into your lie."

He just stared at her for a heartbeat and then, "How did you know?"

"Because," she'd been smirking but it slowly faded, "because your biggest fear isn't something that can be stepped on or swatted away. It isn't something that you can make amusing with a simple charm, not something you can laugh away. It's something that scares you so much that you might not even realize it, because that's how scary it is. So much that you don't even think about it, you can't think about it."

Her eyes had grown distant, she'd gone to another place, another time, but his voice brought her back quickly enough.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

She smirked but it didn't reach her eyes. "I know we established that you don't know anything, but I think even you can figure out the answer to that."

She felt his gaze on her and she kept hers toward the shack. She scrambled for something else to say, something to distract him, but her mind wouldn't focus on one thing. He started to say something but was interrupted.

"Malfoy, there you are," called Blaise Zabini, one of his housemates. "I told you lot I saw him headed this way," he called over his shoulder to the others that followed him.

The weight of his gaze lifted as he turned to greet his fellow Slytherins.

"You still working on your little pet project?" Zabini asked.

 _Pet project?_  How endearing. The others laughed and exchanged a few words under their breath, eliciting even more laughter.

"You know you can't actually convert a Gryffindor to a Slytherin, right?" asked Theodore Nott, "No matter how appeal a prospect it is," he added with a smirk.

"You know you aren't actually as clever as you think you are, right?" Malfoy nearly snapped back at him.

"Aren't you afraid you'll catch something?" Pansy asked, not even trying to hide her disdain. "Some incurable disease."

"Nothing worse that he could catch from you," Nott said, prompting smirks from the rest of the group.

Pansy scowled and sent a scathing glare toward Kaelix.

"Did you see the quidditch match schedule? We play Gryffindor first match of the season," said Adrian Pucey, another member of the Slytherin team.

"It doesn't matter when we play them, we're going to beat them," said Malfoy.

They carried on about quidditch for awhile and Kaelix didn't miss the occasional glances that were sent her way, most merely curious, skeptical of her presence. Except in Nott and Pansy's cases, who smirked and sent daggers respectively. She'd eaten several meals at their table in the Great Hall, preferring their company most of the time to her own house, mainly Potter. And most of them didn't seem to mind, at least not while Malfoy was around, but she couldn't help feeling a bit out of place. Perhaps it was the quidditch talk.

They delved into a rather intense discussion of their game tactics, and Kaelix withdrew from the group. She moved off quietly, no one noticing or at least no one caring enough to comment on her departure. Shivering a bit from spending so long out in the late autumn chill, she decided to warm herself up a bit before heading back to the castle. She ducked into The Three Broomsticks, the small pub attached to the inn. It was bustling with people but there was a strange sense of calm beneath the hustle. The atmosphere was warm and filled with a musky smoke that was welcoming. Kaelix wove her was between various patrons and over to the bar to get a drink.

"What will you have, dear?" a woman with a welcoming smile asked.

"Something warm?" said Kaelix.

She nodded, "One mug of fresh butterbeer coming right up."

Kaelix glanced briefly around the room, taking in the diversity of the patrons that currently occupied it. The bartender passed her a froth topped mug over the counter and she passed a few coins back, thanking her. She carried her drink to an empty table at the far end of the room and took a seat that allowed her to watch the patrons. It was strange how such a crowded space could feel so relaxed, but compared to out in the open village that's exactly what the pub felt like. There was an ease to the atmosphere that wasn't present elsewhere in the village and it had Kaelix wondered what the difference was. Maybe it was due to the imbibing of the older patrons.

There were several of her fellow students enjoying their own frothy mugs; a few teachers conversed idly while drinking something a bit stronger than butterbeer; many ordinary looking strangers and a few not so ordinary looking. At one point Kaelix saw what she could only describe as a goblin. She heard a few people whispering about Sirius Black and where the latest sighting had been; one swore he was still in the area trying to sneak into Hogwarts; while the other swore that he must have fled the country and the locally reported sightings were simply due to paranoia.

She sat for a time, people watching, observing the ever changing patrons of the pub and slowly draining her mug. A figure that stopped beside her table and she glanced up to see a man she did not recognize.

"Miss Williams, I presume?" he asked.

She remained silent, giving no confirmation or denial that she was indeed the one he was looking for.

"I thought I might find you here, I was hoping we could have a little chat," he gave a small but wicked smile.

"Am I supposed to know you?" she asked.

"No, that is part of why I came. May I?" he indicated the seat across from her.

She made no move to welcome him to her table but he took the seat anyway. Arrogant stranger, maybe he was related to Potter? No, not with that neat hair. She took another sip of her butterbeer and waited for him to begin whatever tale he had come here to tell her. She'd already listened to one random stranger tell her that magic was real and invite her to his school, why not listen to another one? She was almost looking forward to finding out if this Inn Man could possibly top the Old Man.

"Is school going well?" he asked.

She scoffed, "The last time a mysterious stranger who already knew my name sat down to have a chat with me, he turned my world upside down and spun it half way around. I'm betting you're not really here to discuss my grades."

"Direct, I like that," he said. "You're right I'm not here to discuss your grades, I'm here to offer you something."

"Well at least you're original. What is it you're offering?" she asked.

"Truth. Knowledge. Things that others would rather keep from you," he said.

Kaelix leaned back in her chair, "Truth about what exactly?"

"About who you might be, among other things," he said casually.

The bartender placed a short glass of dark amber liquid on their table as she passed by. Kaelix watched the liquid settle.

"And how is it that you know anything about who I might be?" she challenged.

"I know that even though you are a third year, this is the first year you've attended Hogwarts. I know that is because somehow your invitation failed to be delivered on your eleventh birthday. And I know that you're curious as to why that happened to you and no one else," he said, then took a sip of his drink.

"Are you implying that you know the answer to that?" she asked, her voice dropping slightly with an unexplainable fear of being overheard.

"I can't say for certain why your letter never arrived. But to my knowledge in the thousand or so years that the school has been open, that has never happened before. And I have a very strong theory about it," he said.

A guess. All he had was a guess as to why her letter never made it. She could come up with plenty of guesses on her own, what she was more interested in at the moment was how this seemingly random stranger knew about her letter in the first place. There were only so many people who knew that, Potter must have been blabbing his big mouth to anyone who would listen. But guesswork, she had no interest in.

"I'm not really interested in a random theory about a failed delivery. That's got nothing to do with who I am." She rose from her seat, abandoning her remaining butterbeer, and turned to leave.

"Do the names Alexandra Fuhrmann, Michael O'Conner, Katherine Holstein, or Sirius Black mean anything to you?" he asked.

She stopped short. Of course they did, but how would he know that.

"Caught your attention, have I?" he asked with a smirk.

She turned back around to meet his gaze and asked, "Who are you?"

"We have much more important things to discuss than matters as trivial as my name," he said, gesturing to her recently vacated seat.

"What, like my letter? What has that got to do with any of those names? What do you know about them?" she asked.

"Their most important connection, is in the fact that if you ask that Headmaster of yours about them he won't tell you anything. And if you ask the wrong person about them… well, I'll let you figure out the details of how that would end up on your own." He sipped again on his drink and nodded toward her seat.

She lowered herself back down, her muscles tense. "How do you know he won't tell me anything? And what do you mean by the wrong people?"

"I know he plays games with people's lives. He lies, either to get what he wants or to manipulate others into getting it for him. You know I'm right, you know that he knows more than he's letting on." His icy eyes were piercing through her.

"I suppose this is the part where you tell me that you won't lie to me the way that he has, you'll be honest with me so I should believe you, trust you?" the doubt was plain in her voice.

"No, this is the part where you ask yourself, would you rather be under the thumb of a man who doesn't care about you beyond how he can use you or would you rather stand alongside someone who truly values you and is willing to help you not only survive but to thrive?"

"What exactly will I need to be surviving?" she asked, reaching for her nearly empty mug.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, one step at a time. Do your research and then we'll have ourselves another chat," he said, downing the last bit of his drink.

She released her mug and drew her arms across her chest, "Why don't you just tell me about them? You seem to know enough about everyone else."

"The information I have regarding those individuals is… sensitive. I need to know that you're serious, and I need to know that you won't take anything I give you and run back to the Headmaster with it," he explained.

"What's to stop me from running back to him with whatever I find on my own?"

"Somehow I don't think you will, call it a hunch."

"For criticising the Old Man about his forthrightness, you're not exactly being a wealth of information yourself," she almost snapped.

He smiled, it was infuriating. He knew he'd won, knew that it was only a matter of  _when_ she looked, not  _if_.

"Look into our mutual friends, find out where they went after school, what happened to them. I think you'll find it all very interesting,"

"What makes you so sure I'll be interested?" she asked.

A satisfied smirk, "You will." He rose from his seat and straightened his robes, "Good day, Miss Williams."

She watched him disappear through the pub door. Leaning back in her seat, she pondered the conversation that had just transpired. Another stranger coming to shake up her world with their nonsense. It was a strange comparison between this Inn Man's visit and the Old Man's back at Dr Hadley's. The Old Man had been relatively straightforward, telling her outright that magic was real and she was invited to study at his school. Yet there had been an underlying sense that he wasn't telling her everything. Something ironically dishonest lying within his honesty. Whereas this Inn Man, though he was not as straightforward as the Old Man had been with his instructions to look into those names, he had at least been honest about the fact that he wasn't telling her everything, and he'd told her what she needed to do in order to find out. Ironically honest in his dishonesty.

She shook herself from her thoughts and rose, leaving the table and the mug behind but not the conversation. Who was this man to presume that she cared about the failed letter delivery? What if she didn't want to know about the letter or the names or their connections? What if she didn't want any part in whatever grand plans either of these men had for her? Who were they to interfere in her life this way?

She sighed as she pushed open the door and left the warmth of The Three Broomsticks for the chilly air of the fading afternoon. It was practically evening now and she could see each exhale disappearing in front of her. The temperature had dropped quickly after the sun and started sinking behind the mountains. Most of the students would be gathering in the Great Hall or headed there shortly. The idea of the crowded hall exhausted her, she didn't want to sit with Nosy Potter and his Gryffindor lackies, nor did she really feel up to enduring the Slytherin table either. But she made her way back to the train station regardless. The sound of her footsteps faded into her surroundings, leaving no evidence of her passing. Even in the crowded street no one saw her come and no one saw her go. That's how it had been for most of her life, people were always looking but no one ever really saw her, not anymore.

When she reached the station she climbed into a nearby carriage and even though she was the only occupant the skeletal creatures that drove it started moving almost instantly. Now, at least for a short time, she was alone, free to get lost in thoughts of the past, reminiscing old times, and dreaming old dreams. Here she was free to remember. There was a cold breeze that pressed in through a small crack in the carriage window and it sent a shiver down her spine; she pulled her cloak tighter around her body.

She remembered laughter, from what seemed like a lifetime ago, and endless hours spent at the park in air even more brisk than this. She thought of his smile and mirrored it with her own lips. He would have loved it here, she thought as the castle came into view over the trees. The spells, the books, the paintings, the ghosts, the moving staircases, the flying broomsticks; there were so many things that were just as they had imagined but there were even more that they never could have dreamt of. Her smile faded, how did she end up here without him? How could he do that to her?

By the time the carriage pulled to a stop in front of the castle she wasn't in any mood to interact with anyone so instead she just started wandering through the deserted corridors. After awhile she stopped realizing that she recognized this particular corridor, in fact she was very familiar with it. She was just outside Professor Lupin's classroom. She looked in and wondered if he was there. No light came from his office at the far end of the classroom but she crossed the room to check anyway. She wasn't sure why, she spent enough time here already, she didn't need to log even more. And yet she found herself a bit disappointed when she discovered his office empty. He was probably down at the feast with everyone else. Briefly she considered waiting for him to show up but decided against it.

She wandered the corridors a bit longer after that, contemplating whether or not she should just go down to the feast. It would be ending soon, no one would notice her absence, and she wasn't hungry anyway. She meandered her way back toward the common room, intent on enjoying the peace of the abandoned state it would be in for a bit. She was so caught up in her own head when she rounded the corner to the Fat Lady's corridor that it took her a moment to notice the other person.

The hair at the back of her neck rose, her gaze snapping up. She halted, adrenaline rushing through her, muscles tensing but the signal to run not making it to them. Several feet in front of her, just in front of the portrait was none other than Sirius Black. Her mind somehow noting that the man in pub earlier had been right, Sirius Black was still around and not only had he most certainly been planning on breaking into Hogwarts, he had succeeded.

Kaelix wasn't the only one who had frozen. Black was half turned toward her, a knife grasped in one hand, slightly raised, ready to strike. Her heart was in her throat, this man was  _dangerous._  Though she'd never actually confirmed what he'd done, Malfoy had said something about mass murder. And a mass murderer wasn't likely to hesitate because of one thirteen year old girl. She really should be running the other way as fast as she possibly could right now but her feet were firmly rooted in place. Like the slightest movement would set him off.

He turned slowly to face her squarely, and he held her gaze but he did not move toward her. The knife still held, half raised in front of him, between the two of them. His weight was shifted back, he was leaning away from her. The thought registered in some distant corner of her brain, he wasn't poised to attack her, he was poised to defend himself, like he was frightened of her. The realization brought her adrenaline down a notch and she surveyed the rest of him.

His robes had been reduced to little more than rags, his long unkempt hair fell around his face and deepened the dark circles around his desperate eyes. His skin was pale, his cheeks shallow, he looked like he hadn't eaten a proper meal in far too long. The posters all around Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade had depicted a crazed killer, a man beyond reason, fearless in his insanity. But the man that stood before her looked like a cornered animal, fearfully poised only to defend himself if necessary, a sense of desperation clinging to every inch of him. And she wondered briefly, just what this man had gone through that brought him to this moment.

His eyes slipped past her, looking down the corridor. She glanced back over her shoulder, there were faint voices echoing off the walls. Students returning from dinner. How long had they stood there in their stalemate? When she looked to Black again his solemn gaze was directly on her. His eyes full of resignation, the knife dropped to his side in defeat, he was caught and he knew it.

Something deep in her gut twisted.

The drone of student voices was growing louder with each passing moment, all of them coming up from the Great Hall. All of them. Except her. She looked back to the corridor she'd come up moments ago, the corridor that led to the North Tower. Everyone else would be coming up the main corridor. She chewed her lip over the idea she was considering, anxiety rising like a wave within her. She didn't know the details of what Black had done but she knew what they would likely do to him if they were to catch him here. That twist in her gut was strong, something didn't add up, why would he do something so absurd? Why escape Azkaban only to break into an empty Hogwarts common room? She didn't have an answer, but then that in itself gave her one.

A particularly loud bout of laughter catalyzed her. She took a few steps back, until she was beyond the threshold of the corridor leading to the North Tower. She glanced down the corridor and then back at him. His brow furrowed like he didn't understand. She took another step backward. Someone shouted, they were close. She nodded toward the escape. Still he hesitated, taking only one uncertain step forward. He looked about to say something but another shout from the approaching students made him jump slightly.

" _Go_ ," she hissed.

He was already running. She moved forward and watched him disappear down the corridor to the North Tower, immediately wondering if she'd just made the biggest mistake of her life. She stared at where his tattered robes had disappeared around the corner at the end of the corridor and she wondered again what would possess a man like that to stick around and risk getting caught. Why not just leave the country, start over somewhere else?

She continued to ponder alternate explanations as the wave of students from the Great Hall moved past her down the corridor. The animated chatter soon turned to a humming uncertainty, impatient murmurs rising up from those farther back, demanding to know what was taking so long.

"Let me through, please," Percy, the Head Boy, shouted over the throng of students as he pushed his way through. "What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password - excuse me, I'm Head Boy -"

And then, like a wave of icy water, the crowd fell silent. Beginning at the front and moving down the corridor to the very back. Speculative whispers trailing behind like smoke from a doused fire, weaving from student to student. Those in the front could plainly see the Fat Lady's mangled portrait and in no time at all, those in the back were straining to stand on tiptoe to catch a glimpse of it themselves, hardly believing what they're fellow Gryffindors were saying.

Percy's voice came sharply through the quiet, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick."

A fraction of a moment later the Old Man appeared, sweeping through the crowd of students toward the portrait. Quickly behind him were Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape. After laying eyes on the torn portrait he turned with somber eyes toward the Professors.

"We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!" came a cackling voice.

Kaelix finally turned from where she'd still been standing at the intersection of corridors. Peeves. He was bobbing up over the crowd looking quite delighted at the sight of wreckage and worry, as he always seemed to.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" Dumbledore asked calmly, and Peeves' grin faded a bit. He didn't dare taunt the Headmaster, at least not outright. Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle.

"Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said cheerfully. "Poor thing," he added, though it was thoroughly unconvincing.

"Did she say who did it?" asked Dumbledore.

"Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He's got very, very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see. Didn't have the password," Peeves flipped over and grinned at the Old Man from between his own legs. "Though she might have still refused  _him_  even if he had had the password," he laughed and spun around again. "Such a nasty temper, that one."

This was ludicrous.

"It was Sirius Black," Kaelix said over the crowd.

Peeves spun right around and looked at her incredulously before spitting his tongue out at her and then swirling away in a huff. Upset that she'd stolen his bombshell.

The Old Man and each of the Professors had turned to her, "Miss Williams, are you certain?" he asked.

"Yes, I am, I saw him. If you don't believe me then feel free to invite the poltergeist back and ask him, but he'll tell you the same. Sirius Black was in this castle and he shredded that painting."

Professor McGonagall was stricken, she was more worried than Kaelix had ever seen her before. Professor Snape's usually sour expression was contorted with fury. And Professor Lupin was more exhausted than she'd ever seen him before.

"Thank you, Miss Williams," he said before turning back to his staff. "Professor McGonagall, inform Mr. Filch please."

She nodded and departed immediately.

"Professor Snape, please retrieve the Slytherin students and escort them to the Great Hall, have Professors Flitwick and Sprout do the same," he instructed and Professor Snape disappeared.

"Professor Lupin, if you would, help escort the Gryffindors to the Great Hall, thank you."

Professor Lupin made his way through the students to lead them back down the staircase and Kaelix moved to intercept him.

"Professor Lupin?" she called.

"Kaelix, are you alright? You said you saw Black?" Physically, he looked exhausted but his eyes were alert and concerned.

"I only caught a glimpse of him before he ran," she said, falling into step beside him.

"Good," a bit of relief slipped into his normally even voice. "The Headmaster is sending all of you to the Great Hall for the night while we comb the castle. You should try to get some sleep," he added absentmindedly.

"What exactly did Sirius Black do?" she asked.

He glanced sideways at her before answering, "The short answer is that he killed 13 people with a single curse."

"And the long answer?" she asked.

Professor Lupin sighed, "is too long and complicated to explain right now."

"So what will they do if they catch him?" she ventured, "take him back to prison?"

They rounded the corner as he answered, "No, he's already escaped once and no one's ever escaped Azkaban before."

"So, what then?" her stomach churning with her question, "will they kill him?"

"No," he said absently, his attention split between their conversation and some internal struggle.

"No?" she asked.

His attention returned. "No, what they have planned is worse than death," he said quietly.

"Worse than death?" she wondered out loud.

"They plan to let the dementors take his soul, though I'm not entirely certain that he hasn't already lost it," said Professor Lupin.

"Take his soul?" she asked confused.

Lupin nodded, "You can still exist without a soul, Kaelix, you just become a shell of your former self."

"Dementors can do that? The same dementors that are stationed across the grounds for our protection?" asked Kaelix in disbelief.

"They're only stationed at the main gate, Dumbledore refused to let them onto the castle grounds. We can discuss this more at your next lesson if you'd like but I need to help search the castle. Try to get some sleep," he said.

He moved off to intercept Professor McGonagall who had reappeared ahead of them, leaving Kaelix to contemplate what it would be like to lose your soul.

Lupin had said it would reduce a person to a shell of their former self, but what did that mean, would they still be aware of anything? Would they feel numb or just nothingness? And what would happen to the soul once it was removed? Was it destroyed? Imprisoned somewhere?

She remembered the screaming she heard when the dementors drew near, perhaps those were the souls they'd taken? Kaelix envisioned an incorporeal form being forcibly pulled out of a person and then absorbed into the dementor that had taken it, existing only within a dark small prison, screaming for eternity. No longer bound by the limits or mortality of a physical form, the soul's only remaining awareness would be darkness. Forever alone in unending darkness.

A shiver went down her spine and she tried to shake the thought away. As perfect as they had thought this fairy tale world would be, even it had it's horrors.


	10. Coincidence

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

Chapter 10: Coincidence

When the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin rejoined the Gryffindor's in the Great Hall they all looked extremely confused. Evidently unaware as to why they had been recalled from their respective dormitories and gathered here. Before the Gryffindors could disseminate the news of what happened, Dumbledore began speaking.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore announced as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all the doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts."

Professor Dumbledore paused, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing…"

One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.

"Sleep well," he said to everyone, then added softly, "Miss Williams, a quick word?"

The students immediately began buzzing with urgent whispers; the Gryffindors quickly recounting the little bit that they knew of the situation. Percy began shouting over the dull murmur, instructing everyone to find a spot and stop talking. Kaelix made her way around the throng of students to where the Old Man stood by the main doors, he smiled warmly at her approach.

"I just wanted to check that you're alright after your encounter this evening," he said.

"I wouldn't call it an encounter, exactly. He just ran past me," she said.

"He didn't try to harm you?" Professor Lupin asked, appearing at Dumbledore's side.

"No, he didn't even threaten to. He just ran," she said.

Lupin's brow furrowed a bit more.

"Did he say anything to you?" Dumbledore asked. "Did he do anything out of the ordinary, anything at all?"

"He didn't say or do anything, he just ran," she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

Kaelix hesitated, appearing for all present to be reliving her encounter while she was actually wondering what on Earth they expected her to say. Did they honestly think that the convicted criminal would stop to pour his heart out to a random student before he ran? The Old Man's head tilted ever so slightly and she was struck by another idea; he thought she had something to do with this. Maybe she was projecting her own uneasiness with having aided Black in his escape. But if the intensity in his gaze wasn't suspicion, what could it be?

"No," she finally said, "he didn't say anything and the only thing he did was run. All he had was a knife and some ragged old robes, he looked like he hadn't eaten or slept in days. He looked desperate, haunted even, but he didn't do anything until he heard more students come up from the feast. That's when he made a break for the North Tower, and I have no idea where he went after that. Satisfied?" she said, with perhaps a bit more bite than she ought to have.

He smiled, "Thank you, Miss Williams. Go settle in for the night."

With that he left the hall, Lupin right behind him, closing the door as they went.

Kaelix grabbed one of the remaining sleeping bags from the pile and skirted the edge of the sea of sleeping students. The Old Man's question replaying in her head,  _are you sure?_  It irritated her to no end. How dare he, when  _he_ was the one withholding information from her. The only connection between her and Black was the core of their wands, did Dumbledore really think that was enough to have her conspiring with a murderer? Technically she'd let him go, encouraged him even, but she wasn't helping him case his next victim. There must have been something more, she realized, something that the Old Man knew, something that made him suspicious, something he certainly wasn't going to tell her. She planned to find out anyway.

Percy still hadn't successfully quieted the students yet and there was one question that kept popping up over the hum of the crowded hall:  _How did he get in?_

Some students, who clearly hadn't bothered to read anything about the school they were attending for the better part of each year, were guessing that he might have apparated in, or flown in on a broomstick, neither of which would actually work. Another student suggested a disguise, but it would have to be some very complex magic to get past the dementors stationed at the gate, and Black didn't even have a wand.

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted across the hall. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

All the candles extinguished themselves at once and they were left with only the silver otherworldly glow of the ghosts and the stars scattered across the enchanted ceiling. It reminded Kaelix of another time when she laid on the floor looking up at the night sky through an open window. The persistent whispers of students who couldn't bring themselves to sleep just yet reminded her of the breeze and the dull hum of insects all those years ago. She saw what must have been a nearly full moon in the ceiling and remembered how the light would pour into their bedroom on those nights. Those nights that were supposedly more magical than the rest… But nothing special had ever happened on those night. She shook the memories away.

Kaelix dozed in and out of sleep into the early morning, regularly woken by a teacher checking in on the students, or Percy making the rounds and shushing anyone he found still awake. Didn't he understand that his monitoring was more disruptive than the whispers? Around three when most of the whispering had ceased, Kaelix heard the doors open and close again. She adjusted her position to see who'd entered. Professor Dumbledore's figure was clearly illuminated in the moonlight, his long beard seeming to glow. She watched him move across the hall to intercept Percy. They were just close enough for her to hear them.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.

"No," he said. "Is all well here?"

"Everything is under control, sir," Percy reported.

"Good. There's no point in moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow," Dumbledore said.

"And the Fat Lady, sir?" asked Percy.

"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her."

The door creaked open again, followed by brisk footsteps.

"Headmaster," said Professor Snape, "the whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy Tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?" Dumbledore asked.

All places that could be accessed from the North Tower corridor that Kaelix saw Black disappear down.

"All searched…" Professor Snape replied.

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger," said Dumbledore.

"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Headmaster?" asked Professor Snape.

Kaelix shifted her head slightly, very interested in hearing the Old Man's theory.

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next," he said.

Kaelix couldn't see much of the Old Man's face from her angle on the floor but she could see Professor Snape's and she was surprised to find him looking so angry.

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before the start of term?" he said, barely opening his lips.

"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice that Kaelix had never heard before.

"It seems almost impossible that Black could have entered the school without help on the inside. I did express my concerns when you appointed-"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it clear that the subject was closed. "I must go down to the dementors, I said I would inform them when our search was complete."

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" asked Percy.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster."

Percy's pale face looked shocked. The Old Man left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Professor Snape lingered only for a moment watching him go with an expression of deep resentment; then he too made his way out of the hall.

Kaelix wondered who it was that Professor Snape had expressed concerns about, who among them did he think would help a murderer? She wondered briefly if it was her, if Snape had been the one to lay the groundwork for Dumbledore's suspicion of her. But she dismissed the idea, Snape had never shown her any sign of mistrust. Who then did he think had helped Black? Because Black must have had help, everyone seemed convinced of that. Hogwarts was supposed to be impenetrable, but then again, Azkaban was supposed to be unescapable.

Sirius Black was the talk of the school for the next few days. Everyone had concocted their own idea about how he'd managed to sneak into the castle and there seemed to be a competition going for who could come up with the most absurd idea. There was a Hufflepuff student who spent an entire Herbology class telling anyone who would listen, and even some who wouldn't, that Black could turn into a flowering shrub. Though Kaelix wasn't sure how turning into a flowering shrub would help him get into the castle, she couldn't help but wonder if the girl wasn't far off. Maybe Black could transform into something a bit more mobile than a flowering shrub.

Security seemed to be increased since the break in, with professors and prefects not allowing students to wander the corridors alone. The Fat Lady's portrait had been replaced by a Sir Cadogan, an overly talkative knight who sat atop his fat grey pony. Evidently it had been a last resort, as Sir Cadogan was a horrible guard. He spent half his time challenging the students to duels and the other half coming up with complicated and increasingly ridiculous passwords that he changed nearly as often as the moving staircases.

On top of their new ridiculous portrait guard and the ever worsening weather, the Gryffindor students were furious when they learned that the quidditch schedule was revised and they would be playing Hufflepuff at the upcoming game instead of Slytherin as was originally planned. Word on the street was that their seeker's arm was still injured. Although no one outside Slytherin seemed to believe this, seeing as the Slytherin seeker was Malfoy and the injury they were talking about was his arm from the first week of classes. Kaelix confronted him about it one morning in potions, knowing full well that his arm was completely healed and had been for some time.

"Why is your team putting off the match?" she asked, "and don't try to tell me it's because of your arm."

Malfoy glanced around before answering in a low voice, "Flint doesn't want to play in this weather. I didn't know he was going to use my arm as an excuse until he already had."

"And you just went along with it?" she asked, stirring her thickening potion until she turned a nice bright shade of sapphire.

"I didn't have a choice," he hissed, "he said I'd be off the team if I didn't."

"Doesn't sound like it's a team worth being on," she said, catching his good hand before he added one too many daisy roots to his potion.

"Exactly the kind of team my father wants me on," he grumbled.

Kaelix didn't miss the way his body stiffened with his last comment. That had been the end of that conversation.

She didn't have much time to give it any more thought, as busy as she was trying to keep up with her third year coursework and the additional lessons she had with Professor Lupin three evenings each week. Her Thursday morning ritual this week was especially appealing because it was the quietest time she ever managed to find.

She rounded the corner, knowing that today she was earlier than she had ever been before, but she enjoyed the time alone, well mostly alone, alone enough. Hopefully he wouldn't mind.

"Miss Williams, if you keep this up it won't be long before you beat me to my own classroom," he said without looking up from the desk.

She felt a bit of heat rise in her cheeks, "I'm sorry Professor, I'll come back when it's time for class," she turned to leave, hoping to find a rock to crawl under and never emerge from.

"Miss Williams," he called after her.

"Yes, sir?" she turned back, her fingers twitching with the fabric of her robe pockets.

"Do you recall the wound cleaning potion we went over in class several weeks back?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. You said it's used quite often in the hospital wing for minor injuries," she said, relaxing ever so slightly.

"Indeed," he said flatly. "Can you draft a batch before class begins?"

"Oh, um…" she was taken off guard by his question and her mouth stopped receiving signals from her brain.

He glanced up from the parchment in front of him, his critical gaze sweeping over her. "This is not a test, Miss Williams, nor will I give you extra credit for it. I merely thought that since you finished reading through your entire potions book last week that you might make yourself useful, the hospital wing needs restocking. So, can you draft a batch before class begins or not?"

"Yes, sir, I can," she answered.

"Then get to it," he said, returning to what lay on his desk.

A small smile crept its way onto her face, this would be even better than spending the morning reading. She set up her workstation and gathered the necessary ingredients from the supply cupboard. Back at her station she began working. Professor Snape never once looked up from his desk or came over to check on her the whole time she was working. After the potion finished it's last bought of simmering and she added the last pinch of African Sea Salt and the potion sizzled as she stirred it in, just as it ought to have.

Professor Snape rose from his desk without a word. He made his way over to her station and motioned for her to step aside so he could examine her work. She'd been quite confident in the brew up until his looming figure was scrutinizing it. She racked her brain, replaying the process in her head, trying to think of a single misstep but she couldn't. He stirred the potion, checking the color, consistency, and smell. Then he sampled it himself.

"Excellent," he said and she thought she almost saw a smile cross his features, though it may have just been the absence of his usual frown.

Kaelix was smiling inwardly, happy with her own performance and with Professor Snape's rare approval.

"Take a few phials from the supply cupboard and bottle it up for Madame Pomfrey." He walked briskly back to his desk in a businesslike manner, "And hurry, class is about to begin."

Any sign of approval that may have crossed his features was long gone, but Kaelix had seen it.

"Professor, there don't seem to be any phials here," she said from the supply cupboard.

"That's right, our resupply order was delayed…" he paused as if considering her for a moment before continuing, "down the corridor a bit, the first door on your left, there will be a cabinet just as you enter the room. There are plenty of spare phials stored there."

Kaelix nodded and made her way to the room to retrieve them.

* * *

Harry made his way down the dungeon corridor toward his least favorite class with Ron and Hermione behind him. They were still bickering about the way her new cat had been treating Scabbers. Harry tended to side with Ron but had taken to keeping his mouth shut to avoid Hermione's scathing glares. Just before they entered the classroom he caught sight of Williams existing a door father down the corridor. She was carrying a few empty phials and it took him a moment to realize that door was Snape's office.

"What's she doing in there?" Ron hissed in his ear, his feud with Hermione momentarily forgotten.

"No idea," said Harry, wondering the same.

"First that secret meeting with that hooded guy in Hogsmeade and now she's hanging out in Snape's office? Just when I thought she couldn't be any less of a Gryffindor," muttered Ron.

"What secret meeting in Hogsmeade?" asked Harry, taking his usual seat and keeping an eye on Williams.

"We told you about that, didn't we?" said Ron.

"That was the same day that Black broke into the castle. We must have forgotten," said Hermione, lifting her book bag over her head.

Ron sent an annoyed glance at Williams before continuing in a near whisper, "She was hanging out with Malfoy for a bit as usual, but then we saw her later on in the Three Broomsticks. She was sitting alone at the back table and then someone joined her, like she'd been waiting for them. Couldn't see his face though, really suspicious."

"It was not suspicious, it was probably just a relative or something," Hermione said dismissively.

"A relative who kept themselves hooded for their entire conversation, that's likely," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

Harry ignored Hermione's retort and their continued bickering as he watched Williams. She had entered the classroom just after them and headed straight to her workstation which already had a completed potion sitting in the cauldron. As the other students continued to file in and prepare for class, she filled the empty phials with the purple potion and delivered them to the counter. Harry continued to watch as she made quick work of cleaning her cauldron out and returned to her seat just before Snape rose to begin class. If he didn't know any better he would have sworn that Snape had been waiting for her.

As hard as he tried, Harry just couldn't focus on Snape's lesson, though it was a half hearted attempt. Between the upcoming quidditch match and Williams' mysterious activity, his mind was entirely elsewhere. Truth be told he had been less and less interested in her lately with all his extra time being consumed by quidditch. But a mysterious meeting with an unidentified man and a new student while a mass murderer was on the loose, who later that day breaks into the castle while only being seen by a single painting, a ghost, and that very same new student, well that was a bit suspicious.

"Are you sure you didn't recognize him?" asked Harry.

"Who?" asked Ron, who was doing a better job paying attention than Harry.

"That man that Williams met in Hogsmeade," said Harry.

Hermione emitted a disapproving sound as she scribbled down her notes.

Ron ignored her and shook his head, "Couldn't really get a good look at him. Actually, don't even know if it was a him. He was wearing a hood the whole time and didn't seem like he wanted to be recognized, if you know what I mean. And Hermione wouldn't let me get any closer."

"Because it's none of your business. Now hush," Hermione whispered.

"What if her secret meeting had something to do with Black?" Ron hissed.

"Yeah, what if she helped him get inside the castle?" asked Harry.

"Black was in league with You-Know-Who and he escaped Azkaban without help. Do you really think that he needed the help of a brand new student to break into the castle?" snapped Hermione.

"Maybe that's why she just showed up out of nowhere," said Ron. "It's not like we get a lot of transfer students around here."

"What if it was Malfoy we were talking about?" asked Harry. "Just because Black doesn't  _need_  the help of a student, doesn't mean he would turn it down."

"Well if she was helping him then why would she take him up to Gryffindor tower when she knew we were all down in the Great Hall?" asked Hermione, her tone leaving little room for argument. "That's what I thought," she said after a moment of silence.

Harry let the subject drop but still silently wondered what Williams could have been leading Black to in an empty common room. Even if Black had snuck into the castle without help, how was it that Williams was the one person who saw him? That one coincidence might not have looked so intriguing on it's own but she'd had a secret meeting that same day, and now she was hanging out in Snape's office and brewing special potions before class. Not to mention her continued fraternization with Malfoy.

By the time class was dismissed his suspicion got the better of him and he moved to intercept her. Deciding he would start with the least intrusive question.

"So, what's that potion you were storing before class?" he asked, pausing beside her workstation.

She didn't answer immediately, no doubt a scowl had formed on her lips at the sound of his voice. She turned to face him, her expression surprisingly neutral.

"It's the wound cleaning potion we covered in class a few weeks back," she said, and before Harry could overcome his shock at receiving a straight answer she added, "the Hospital Wing was running low and Professor Snape asked me to help restock it."

Harry nodded, still a bit taken aback that she had supplied an answer instead of a sarcastic retort.

"Why you?" he asked.

She shrugged, "I was a bit early for class with nothing better to do. And I like potions."

Grabbing her bag, she turned to leave the classroom with the rest of the students that were filing out.

He knew his next question might be pushing it but she was being oddly forthcoming at the moment, and he just couldn't help himself. "Who did you meet with in Hogsmeade?"

She froze. He could see her spine stiffen at the question.

"At the Three Broomsticks?" he added hastily, thinking that would somehow help him.

She turned back, the disbelief evident on her face. He had definitely pushed too far.

"Haven't we been here before?" she asked.

His brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"I thought I'd already told you that following people around and watching their every move isn't polite?" she said, her voice surprisingly even for the fire burning in her eyes.

"I didn't follow you," he said, folding his arms across his chest.

"You don't have permission to visit Hogsmeade," it was a statement of fact, not a question. "So you either snuck out and made your way there somehow to spy on me yourself, or you've asked your friends to do it for you," she gestured toward Ron and Hermione. "I don't know which of those scenarios I dislike more, but I don't really care to sort it out. Because no matter how you found out it's none of your business who I met with or what we discussed."

"I didn't ask what you were talking about," he defended.

"Don't even pretend that wasn't your next question," she rolled her eyes.

She was right, but he wasn't about to admit it.

"Why are you so insistent on avoiding my questions? Is it even possible for you to have a conversation without accusing me of spying on you?" he shot at her.

"Why are you so insistent on invading my privacy? Is it even possible for you to mind your own business?" she mocked. "And not that it makes a bit of difference but that was weeks ago and you're just bringing it up now?"

"Ron only just mentioned it," he said without thinking.

"So you did have your friends spy on me," a bitter expression crossing her features.

Harry opened his mouth to deny it but he was cut off.

"Potter," Snape's cold voice called his name sharply. "You would do well to mind your own business instead of prying into others' personal matters." He turned his attention to Williams, "Miss Williams, do you have a moment?"

She nodded and with a scathing parting glare at Harry, made her way over to Snape's desk.

Her demeanor was much more at ease when directed toward Snape, "Yes, Professor?"

Harry gathered his bag and exited the classroom with Ron and Hermione in tow, but he stopped just outside the door.

"Harry, what are yo-" Ron started but Harry shushed him.

"Over on the top shelf of that bookcase is a fourth year potions book, read the first two chapters and we'll see how useful you can be next week," Snape's voice came from the classroom.

"Yes sir," Williams replied almost cheerfully.

A few of her footsteps toward the corridor made Harry almost leave but she stopped and he listened.

"Professor Snape?"

"What is it?" he snapped a bit harsher than he'd been before.

"Thank you," she said softly and then he heard her footsteps again.

Harry half leapt and half jogged down the corridor a ways so that she didn't catch him listening in. Again.

"First she befriends Malfoy and now Snape, why wasn't she sorted into Slytherin?" Ron asked.

Harry was wondering the same thing.

* * *

Kaelix was still a bit perturbed by Potter's arrogant questions by the time she arrived for their Defense Against the Dark Arts class that afternoon. So when he arrived apologetically late only to find that Professor Snape was covering their class for the day, she thoroughly enjoyed watching his irritation.

"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down," Professor Snape ordered.

She couldn't help the small smile that formed on her lips. Potter didn't move, he looked concerned.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" he asked.

"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," said Professor Snape with a twisted smile. "I believe I told you to sit down?"

Professor Lupin had been looking a bit ill during their last lesson.

Potter still didn't move.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked.

"Nothing life-threatening," Professor Snape said with glittering eyes, looking as though he wished it were and leaving Kaelix to wonder why. "Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."

Potter finally took his seat in a dejected sort of way and Professor Snape looked around at the class.

"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far-"

"Please, sir, we've done boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows," said Hermione, "and we're just about to start-"

"Be quiet," said Professor Snape. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," said Dean Thomas boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class. Professor Snape looked more menacing than ever.

"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you - I would expect first years to deal with Red Caps and grindylows. Today we shall discuss-" he flipped through the textbook, to one of the very last chapters. "-werewolves."

"But, sir," said Hermione, seemingly unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks-"

"Miss Granger," said Professor Snape in a voice of deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He glanced around again. " _All_ of you!  _Now!"_

With many bitter sidelong looks and some sullen muttering, the class opened their books.

"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" he asked.

Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except for Hermione whose hand shot straight into the air as Kaelix had learned it always did.

"Anyone?" said Professor Snape, clearly ignoring Hermione. His lips twisted into a smile again. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction-"

He stopped when his eyes fell on Kaelix's raised hand.

"Yes, Miss Williams?"

"Werewolves can be identified while transformed by their distinctly shorter snouts, more human-like eyes, a tuft tail, and the way that they mindlessly hunt for humans to attack," she said, summarizing the bit she'd read after her lessons the previous week.

"Thank you, Miss Williams," said Professor Snape.

Hermione lowered her hand, looking a bit defeated.

"However," he continued, "one student out of an entire class does not redeem Professor Lupin's shortcomings, I never thought I'd meet a third year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing the Headmaster how behind you all are."

"If we're behind it's because of our last two professors. Professor Lupin's taught us more since he got here than both of them combined," Weasley snapped.

Kaelix and the entire class knew that he'd gone too far, even Weasley looked like he might be regretting his words. Professor Snape slowly advanced on Weasley and the whole room held its breath.

"Detention, Weasley," said Professor Snape, his face very close to Weasley's. "And if I ever hear you back talk me like that again, you will be very sorry indeed."

There was something more there than the back talk, Weasley had touched a nerve that the class had already rubbed raw. In fact, from the moment Professor Snape had entered the classroom his demeanor had shifted, his posture a little more stiff, his gaze more menacing. Clearly he took issue with Professor Lupin, but none of the students seemed to know why.

After that no one made a sound throughout the rest of the lesson. They sat and took notes on werewolves from the textbook, while Professor Snape walked up and down the rows of desks, examining and criticising the work they had done so far under Professor Lupin's instruction. Most of the students who weren't in Slytherin hated Professor Snape and it was clear that he had a preference for those sorted into his own house. But this was different, his animosity toward Professor Lupin had never been so evident as it was now. In all the time that Kaelix had spent with Professor Lupin she couldn't understand why, he seemed easy enough to get along with.

When the bell rang at last, Professor Snape held them back for a moment.

"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention."

The rest of the class exited the room as swiftly as they could without tripping all over themselves. Kaelix hung back and waited for Professor Snape to finish telling a furious looking Weasley what his detention would entail.

"Give all the bedpans in the Hospital Wing a good and thorough scrubbing, without using magic," he was almost smiling, like he enjoyed dealing out this punishment.

"Excuse me, Professor?" said Kaelix after Weasley hastily left the room.

"Yes, Miss Williams?" he asked, glancing her way.

"I'm supposed to have a lesson with Professor Lupin tomorrow evening, do you know if he'll be back?" she asked.

"Professor Lupin has an awful habit of falling terribly ill, Miss Williams, I would not expect him back before next class," he said almost dismissively, his demeanor much stiffer toward her than it had been that morning. Covering this class for Professor Lupin had certainly put him in a more sour mood than usual. "Were I in your place, I would spend my recently acquired time on that essay. I expect you to be very thorough in your research, thorough enough to be able to identify a werewolf the moment one walks into the room, transformed or not."

She nodded but he had already turned back to the papers on Professor Lupin's desk and didn't notice. She briefly wondered at the emphasis he seemed to put on those last few words as she set off for the library.

* * *

"Are you looking for this?" Malfoy's familiar voice asked from behind her.

She turned and saw that he was in fact holding the book that she was searching the shelves for.

"I am, are you finished with it?" she asked.

"Just wrapped up, I've got quidditch practice soon anyway so it's all yours," he said with a smirk.

"I thought you were too badly injured to play?" she said, thumbing through the book.

His smirk faltered, "I told you that wasn't me."

There it was again, that same stiffening of his shoulders, the subtle clenching of his jaw. She'd seen it before and this recurrence only confirmed her suspicion that there was something more there than he was letting on. She didn't push it. They weren't close enough friends to push something like that, she wasn't even sure she would call them friends. She wasn't sure she could call anyone her friend anymore.

"You're going to watch the match tomorrow, aren't you?" he asked, pulling her away from those thoughts.

"I suppose I should watch at least one match before I decide whether or not I'm a fan," she said.

"Good, I'll meet you in the Great Hall for breakfast," he turned to make his way back out of the library. "You can sit with us and don't worry, I'll explain what's happening so you're not completely lost," he said over his shoulder with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes and turned back to the book he'd left her. Dropping to the floor, she let the book fall open in her lap. As she jumped through the book looking for the particular section on werewolves, she noticed the pages were lifting as if something was stuck in the book farther along. She flipped through until she found the offending item, it was a newspaper clipping. It was torn so she couldn't tell when the paper was printed. Were wizarding newspapers even printed or did they just materialize with the wave of a wand? She shook the thought away and focused on the article clipping. The beginning was missing and there were other parts she couldn't make out but there was enough for her to tell what it was about; Sirius Black.

_...thorities have admitted to having no idea how long Black had been working wi… how he was able to keep his true loyalty a secret for so long. Sources have reported that even … interacted with Black on a daily ba... no idea of his true allegiance. This mass murder took place only hours after the double murder of the previous night in a Godric's Hollow ho… reports began flying around that …ot-Be-Named had finally been defeated. The identities of the double murder victims were recently revealed to be James and L..., ...ose son, ... survived resulting in the alleged defeat of He-Who... It is unclear yet whether there is any direct connection between the two events other than Black's loyalty to ...Named. See page 7 for a list of Black's mass murder victims._

Kaelix hadn't gotten far enough through her History of Magic book to know what this might be about, and she made a mental note to either look it up later or ask Professor Lupin at their next lesson.

She flipped the paper over and found another partial article on the back side about quidditch. But it was the missing person picture to the right that caught her attention. Big block letters read  _STILL MISSING_  above a picture of a young woman with dark hair smiling warmly and waving toward the camera. At the bottom of the picture was a caption with a name she recognized,  _Katherine Holstein._

She recalled the conversation she had a few weeks ago with the yet to be identified stranger in the Three Broomsticks. He'd told her to look into Katherine Holstein, as well as Michael O'Conner, Alexandra Fuhrmann, and Sirius Black but she'd been distracted. Initially by her brief encounter with Black but then more so by all the work she had to do in order to keep up with her current classes as well as her extra lessons with Professor Lupin. She'd nearly forgotten about the conversation altogether, let alone following up on the man's instructions, and now this clipping just happens to be in a book she needed. Coincidence?

She read the entire caption:  _Katherine Holstein was reportedly last seen by a close friend in Yorkshire, England the night of September 13th 1979. Ms. Holstein's disappearance was reported by recent mass murderer Sirius Black, with whom she had been living prior to her disappearance, and authorities now believe he may have been involved. No sightings or contact with Ms. Holstein have been reported over the last 2 years and she is now presumed dead._

If Katherine Holstein was presumed dead, possibly at the hand of Sirius Black, then what did that mean Kaelix could expect to find regarding the fates of Michael O'Conner and Alexandra Fuhrmann?


	11. Research and Trust

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

Chapter 11: Research and Trust

The book fell closed with a small thump. Another dead end. She was beginning to think that Alexandra Fuhrmann and Michael O'Conner had led very mundane lives and the most notable thing either one of them had done was to purchase a wand from Ollivander. She hadn't found a single mention of either one.

After Kaelix had discovered the Daily Prophet clipping the night before, she'd abandoned her werewolf research and made her way to the Historical Section of the library, where they kept an archive of all the past issues of the wizard newspaper. She'd spent the past evening combing through issue after issue, scouring all the ones around the date of Katherine Holstein's disappearance. All she'd found was a small missing persons notice that had been posted four days after she'd disappeared, providing nothing beyond the clipping she'd already found. They hadn't even mentioned the name of the close friend that Katherine had been last seen by, lousey would be reporters.

Kaelix had checked a few issues from a year later as well, thinking there might have been something on the one year anniversary, but she came up empty handed there as well. She checked a few more would be anniversary issues before giving up on the prophet entirely and moving through the rest of the library. Looking for anything that might reference obscure disappearances or past Hogwarts students. When the lights in the library dimmed and Madam Pince turned her severe gaze on Kaelix, she had decided to call it a night but resolved to come back in the morning and continue searching. Which is where she'd been, for  _hours_ , with nothing to show for it.

Presumed dead. Kaelix leaned back against the shelve of books she dropped to floor in front of more than an hour ago, thoughts and theories cartwheeling around her mind. Katherine Holstein had just disappeared one day, never to be seen or heard from again. It didn't seem possible. She tilted her head back to stretch her neck, she'd been hunched over for far too long. Maybe that was what the mysterious Inn Man had wanted her to discover. She was doubtful though, as curious as a sudden disappearance was it wasn't quite "meet up with a stranger in a pub and tell them to track it down" level curious, not on it's own. There had to be more.

She uncrossed her legs and wiggled her toes, they'd gone numb without her realizing and now a thousand tiny needles stabbed her with each movement. How did a person even go missing in a world full of magic anyhow? she wondered. In all of the wizarding world there had to be some kind of locating spell they could use to find her. She shook the thought away, reasoning that they must have tried something so obvious and there were likely just as many concealment spells as there were locating spells. Or, the more obvious conclusion, they never found her because there was no body to be found. Sirius Black had been one of the last people to see her before she disappeared, but maybe the caption was wrong, maybe he'd been  _the_  last one. Maybe even the last one to see her alive, if he really was the murderer that Lupin had said he was. But then why be the one to report her missing? Surely he wouldn't have done that if he was the one that killed her. Though it was just as likely that he was planning on killing her and that other close friend had helped her get away.

Her head dropped back against the bookshelf, staring up at the ceiling, frowning. There had to be something more about Katherine somewhere. Someone knew her, someone must have missed her. She heaved a frustrated sigh, if only she had the name of that damn friend. But all she had was Alexandra Fuhrmann and Michael O'Connor, two more names and a whole field of haystacks to sort through with not even a clue as to where to start. Maybe they were both missing as well? Forgotten by the relentless passing of time, the only remaining evidence of their existence a small photo with a 'missing' caption. Maybe they weren't anything special, maybe this was just some wild goose chase from an eccentric stranger.

Her stomach growled. Loudly.

"Okay, okay," she muttered to herself, leaning forward to stack up the books she'd collected.

She'd been in the library long before breakfast began, but if she didn't go soon she wouldn't have a chance to eat anything before Malfoy dragged her off to the quidditch match. She stretched her whole body as she rose to her feet, shaking away the stiffness that had settled in her muscles as she reshelved the books. She rolled her shoulders at a bit of lingering stiffness as she headed toward the Great Hall

The anticipation of the match was tangible as Kaelix crossed the hall toward the Slytherin table. She'd been taking most of her meals there in the recent weeks. Several of her fellow housemates openly disapproved of her continued 'fraternization' with Malfoy and the other Slytherins, but that made it all the more enjoyable. The fact that she also conveniently avoided any meal time interaction with Potter was an added bonus.

Pansy was the only Slytherin who seemed to care about Kaelix dining with them and she made her sentiments known on several occasions. After it had become a regular occurrence for Kaelix to appear without an express invitation from Malfoy, Pansy had made another snarky remark, "Are we going to give her the password to our common room too?" When Malfoy had responded with, "Maybe we'll give her your dorm while we're at it," she started making her comments quieter for only Kaelix to hear. Almost like they were special little threats just for her.

A long, loud clap of thunder cut over the buzz of the hall, the weather catching Kaelix's attention for the first time that morning. It looked like a monsoon was brewing outside, the enchanted ceiling reflected the stormy weather though the rain it shead never reaching the students.

"Williams," Malfoy said as she approached, "I was beginning to wonder if you were even going to show."

"Are they really still having the match in this weather?" she asked, taking a seat and gesturing toward the storm raging over their heads that was sure to get worse before it got better.

"Quidditch isn't cancelled for anything," he said with a smirk. "So what do you think, your team going to win today?"

"Well, considering I know nothing beyond the game being played on broomsticks, I'm going to say they have a fighting chance," she replied, grabbing a piece of toast.

"Oh, Williams, so pretty but so, so naive," Nott said with a sly grin.

She made a face at him before biting into her toast.

"What if I told you they depended heavily on Potter to win the match?" Malfoy asked.

"In that case I'd say they haven't got a snowflake's chance in hell," she said.

Malfoy laughed, "That's more like it."

"Why is he so important to them?" she asked.

"He's their seeker, they rely on him to catch the snitch," offered Zabini.

Kaelix looked between Zabini and Malfoy, clearly not understanding the implication of his comment.

"More often than not, whichever team's seeker catches the snitch wins the match," Malfoy explained.

Kaelix sipped her pumpkin juice. "Is he any good?"

"He's decent," said Malfoy stiffly.

"He's more than decent, Malfoy. He beat you last year on a slower broom," said Zabini.

The look Malfoy sent his way was deadly.

"So he's pretty good then," Kaelix said.

"Yeah, unfortunately for us," said Nott. "Actually come to think of it, I don't think he's played a single match where he hasn't been the one to catch the snitch."

"Do we really need a recount of Potter's wins and losses tally?" Malfoy snapped, standing roughly. "We should head out to the pitch."

" _Way to go,"_  Kaelix mouthed silently at Nott.

" _Me?"_  Nott mouthed, his expression feigned disbelief. He leaned over the table and whispered, "You're the one who asked about how good Potter was, this is all your fault."

"My fault? I wasn't the one that brought up Potter beating him last year," she looked pointedly at Zabini, "or Potter's apparently undefeated record. If he's in a sour mood for this whole match, it's on you two."

Nott shrugged and said with a grin, "As long as I get to enjoy your charming company I don't mind."

Kaelix rolled her eyes, took one last bite of her toast, and made off after Malfoy. She caught up to him where he'd stopped just inside the great oak doors at the front of the castle. Through the doors Kaelix could see students running toward the pitch with their heads bowed against the wind. Many of those who tried using umbrellas ended up losing them, but some didn't even try to block the inevitable soaking and just ran as fast as they could for the cover of the stands.

A flash of lightning illuminated the dark grey sky and quickly after a loud clap of thunder rolled through. A shiver went down her spine. "Will they even be able to fly in this weather?"

"It won't be easy but they should be able to stay mounted, as long as they know what they're doing. Ready?" he asked, his tone still a bit stiff.

"Ready for wha-"

He grabbed her wrist and took off running without waiting for her question. She barely got her hood pulled up over her head before she was dragged out into the stormy weather. It took only a moment for the ice cold rain to penetrate her thick robes right down to her skin, she could feel the goosebumps spreading as a shiver went down her spine. The wind was blowing so hard that she had to hold her hood in place as they ran, even after it was weighed down from being soaked through. Muddy rain water splashed up with each step, her shoes were soaked through as well. The ground was soft beneath her feet and twice she almost lost her footing with him dragging her. She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her at this absurd attempt of trying to outrun the rain.

"Malfoy, wait," she called over the roar of the wind.

He slowed to a stop and asked, "What? Is something wrong?"

A few curses were thrown their way as other students running for the stands had to veer to miss their sudden halt. Kaelix just tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and felt the rain. Each drop of water somehow relaxing against her skin in their steady, gentle assault.

" _What_  are you doing? It's  _raining_ ," he said, as if it had somehow escaped her notice.

"We're already soaked through, might as well enjoy it," she said still facing the sky.

"Williams, wh-" he started.

"It doesn't sound like you're enjoying it yet, Malfoy," she said with a smirk.

She missed the incredulous look he gave her, and the silent shake of his head.

"Are you enjoying it?" she asked.

She heard a resigned sigh and opened her eye just a fraction check. He had indeed tipped his head back, eyes closed, rainwater dripping from his hair. His expression still slightly perturbed by her ploy. She smiled to herself, he made it so easy.

"Race you," she said, and took off at a dead sprint before he even opened his eyes.

She heard an incoherent exclamation from behind her which she took to mean he was now in pursuit. She couldn't distinguish his footsteps from all the others but she knew he was gaining on whatever small lead her trick had given her. He could definitely outrun her given enough distance, but they were just close enough that she might be able to hold him off. Her robes were impossibly heavy and she found herself wondering if it was any easier flying in this weather than running in it.

She was nearly under the stands when she chanced a glance over her shoulder. He was right on her heels, a look of pure determination on his face. Her legs were already burning but she willed them to keep going for the last fifty feet. He caught her arm just as she passed under the cover, she tried to jerk away but he was too close. She laughed between breaths as they came to a crashing halt and both nearly lost their footing right into the wall.

"What was that?" he asked, his breath evening out much faster than hers.

"Just a bit of fun," she said, wet hair sticking to her face and neck.

"You cheated," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"Don't blame me for you being so easy to distract. Besides your legs are longer, it's only fair that I got a head start," she said, collecting her hair to wring it out.

"Fair would have been telling me we were racing before you'd already started, preferably while I had my eyes open," he said, rubbing the water from his own hair.

She laughed lightly, squeezing out her sleeves and what she could of her robes until her teeth began to chatter from the bone chilling cold.

"I don't think I've ever heard you laugh like that," said Malfoy.

A cold wave of deja vu washed over her and she was swept away to another time, another place. They'd raced through the rain toward cover, over rain soaked ground that splashed beneath their footfalls. She hadn't cheated that time, but he must have let her win because he was a few inches taller and it was all in the legs. They'd both been soaked through by the time they reached cover but neither one of them felt the cold because they were laughing so hard. They'd been laughing before they even started running. She couldn't remember why, but she'd laughed a lot then. They'd always seemed to find something to laugh about.

"It's been awhile," she said, shaking the memory away.

"I just figured you didn't have a sense of humor," said Malfoy.

"Maybe if you were funny I'd laugh more," she replied.

The corner of his mouth twitched again. "Come on then, the match is about to start."

They ascended the stairs and took their seats next to Malfoy's usual companions. Nott and Zabini had somehow beaten them there, and Crabbe and Goyle were in the row behind them.

"This is a Slytherin only section," Pansy's voice grated against her ears.

"Is there a rule somewhere that says that?" Kaelix shot back at her.

"Relax, Pansy. We've been over this, Williams is cool to hang with us. The sorting hat has been known to make mistakes," said Malfoy.

"So we're just going to take her in like she's a stray?" Pansy sneered.

"You're free to leave if it bothers you so much," Malfoy said dismissively.

A few of the others snickered at his comment and he turned to Nott to start discussing the game.

"You may have Draco and all these other dunderheads fooled," Pansy whispered from behind her right shoulder, "but you can't fool me. You better back off before I make things difficult for you."

"I'd like to see you try," Kaelix shot back, barely above a whisper.

She felt Pansy's presence recede from behind her and she turned her attention back to the field. The players entered the pitch and Malfoy began explaining the basics of the game to Kaelix and which team was likely to win the match. The weather made it so hazy that she could hardly tell which players were on which team. Several of them disappeared completely when the clouds shifted. Lightning flashed and she saw two players sitting up above the rest, not moving, she assumed they were the seekers for each team.

"Diggory definitely has the advantage in this weather, he's Hufflepuff's seeker. He's bigger than Potter which is usually a disadvantage for a seeker but today it will work in his favor since the wind won't throw him off as much," he explained.

"So what's the point of all the other players if the seeker catches the snitch and wins the game?" Kaelix asked.

Somewhere behind them Pansy snorted. "She doesn't even know the basics of quidditch," she muttered, loudly enough to be heard.

Malfoy rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored her. "Catching the snitch ends the game but it doesn't necessarily win it, it's only worth 150 poi- Down!" he yelled suddenly, grabbing her arm to pull her with him as he dropped to the floor.

She stumbled slightly on her way down, "What the-"

Before she could finish, a projectile seemingly out of nowhere whistled past just overhead. It was moving so fast and flew so close that she felt the air move as it passed. It barely turned up in time to avoid hitting the back of the stands. Kaelix turned just fast enough to see it speeding away and arching back toward the players with increasingly dangerous speed.

"Are you alright?" Malfoy was standing up again and extending a hand to help her back to her feet.

She took it and pulled herself up. "What the hell was that?"

"That was a Bludger, remember those are the ones that try to knock the players off their brooms. They can be pretty nasty, especially if they hit you dead on," he explained.

"Those things are part of the game?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's the beaters' job to keep them away from their own teammates and send them toward the other team."

She looked for any sign of jest in his face, "You're serious, that's actually part of the game. Those things could kill someone."

"Relax, in the entire history of the game there's only been a handful of deaths and none of them were caused by Bludgers," he turned his attention back to the players.

The fact that no one had died yet from a Bludger did nothing to quell the unsettling feeling Kaelix had about them. How people could actually enjoy being chased by an iron ball at full speed while tens of feet in the air, it was beyond her.

"So who's winning?" she asked.

"Well, Gryffindor is up by 40- no make that 50 points, so right now it's whoever catches the snitch first," he said.

"Hopefully Diggory," said Nott.

"What's happening now?" she squinted down at the field trying to make out all the players as they disappeared beneath some cover.

The wind was howling so loudly that it was impossible to make out the commentary.

"Looks like Gryffindor's called a timeout," he said.

"How can you tell, I can't see anything," she said.

"Madame Hooch signaled for it," he smirked.

It wasn't long before the players reemerged and mounted up, returning to the stormy sky.

"The weather's not getting any better," said Nott. "If someone doesn't catch the snitch they could play into the night."

"How long would they go?" Kaelix asked.

"Until the snitch is caught or until both captains agree to end the game," supplied Zabini.

Malfoy dove back into an elaborate explanation of the scoring, telling her about a time when one team caught the snitch but the other team still won the match. But she wasn't listening anymore, something else caught her attention. Malfoy shouted something but her focus was drawn by a chill colder than the weather.

It was so soft she thought it might have been the wind. She strained to listen harder, where was it coming from? A familiar muffled explosion raised the hair on the back of her neck and sent a shiver down her spine. She knew they were there before she saw them, before the cry of surprise and fear rang out around the field, before it undulated through the crowd like a wave. Dementors.

Despite the frigid air she felt herself growing warm at the sight of them. Adrenaline pumped loudly in her ears but not loud enough to drown out the shouting. She clamped her hands over her ears in a futile effort to block any of it out. The laughter sounded just as crazed as she remembered but as it died off she felt a note of defeat that she hadn't heard before. There were more of them flooding the field than she thought had even been on the grounds. A mass of darkness swarming onto the field, spreading like a plague, bringing the stench of death and despair with them.

Everyone around Kaelix was reacting differently to the dementors. Some simply froze, looking terrified but unmoving; others had fallen down, closing their eyes and covering their ears against the screams. Malfoy was one of the unmoving ones, he stood beside her, his eyes unfocused as if he were somewhere else entirely, fear lacing his features.

' _Stop it! Please, stop it!'_ a small voice screamed _._

' _How dare you speak to me that way, you ungrateful little bitch,'_ yelled the man.

She didn't need to hear anymore of this, she'd already heard it enough times before. She wanted it to stop, she needed it to stop.

A thin silver mist formed in front of her, similar to what she saw happen on the train but it was less dense this time. Spread out almost like a wall.

' _Oh, you won't make a sound. You don't even belong here. You're not helping anyone, I should just get rid of you,'_ the man's voice was more distant now, weaker.

She was warm, not nearly as warm as she had been on the train, but much warmer than any magic she'd performed in class had made her. She pulled at her scarf and almost jumped when she noticed her fingernails were giving off a faint glow. She turned her hand over, watching the light spread slowly up her fingers, getting brighter with each passing heartbeat. Her hands began to shake, this hadn't happened since the train. Not to her, and not to anyone else she'd seen. She stuffed her hands deep into her pockets, afraid of what it might mean.

The laughter, the screams, the voices, all of them dimmed as the wall of silver mist glowed a fraction brighter. Down on the field a figure made entirely of light darted around, corralling the dementors and driving them off like cattle before dissipating into nothing. A wave of fresh cold passed over her like a shiver, the wall of light dissolving simultaneously.

Kaelix stared at nothing where the sort of shield had been just seconds ago. She shivered, her hands shaking where they still remained stuffed in her robe pockets. She didn't know everything about the magical world yet, only having been aware of its existence for all of three months now, but something told her that glowing fingertips and conjuring walls of silver mist without uttering a word weren't in the curriculum.

"Williams, are you okay?" Malfoy's voice brought her back from her thoughts.

The students around them were shuffling their way out and she hadn't moved yet. Had the game ended? Who won?

"Williams?" he said again.

"I'm fine," she said, though her response did nothing to alleviate the look of concern on his features.

"Yeah. Did we win?" she asked, self consciously burying her hands deeper into her pockets.

She looked out over the field. Dumbledore was levitating a player on a stretcher.

"No, but I'm not sure if Hufflepuff did either," he answered.

Had the dementors attacked someone? How did she miss that.

"Who's that?" she gestured to the floating figure.

"It's Potter, he fell off his broom when the dementors came out on the field, didn't you see it?" he asked.

She shook her head and answered distractedly, "Must have missed it."

* * *

After the rather eventful ending to the quidditch match, Kaelix headed to the library in hopes of finishing her werewolf essay for Professor Snape, and distracting herself. Malfoy accompanied her, claiming he had some work for transfiguration to finish up. Kaelix was a little surprised when he sat down and worked next to her in silence, she had thought it was just a ruse to follow her and give her a hard time about doing homework on the weekend. But he proved her wrong by getting far more work done than she did, staring at the table of contents of the same book for the past twenty minutes as her mind continued to go around and around about the dementors swarming the field and other subsequent events.

Both times she'd encountered them she'd heard pieces of a memory as if she were reliving it, rather than just remembering it. It was like she was physically back in that house, in the same room with that man. The bitter cold of the dementors biting into her skin. But then her magic kicked in, like some sort of automatic self defense mechanism it warmed her body to stave off the cold and created a barrier between her and the dementors. It also made her fingertips and skin glow, the intricate pattern starting at her nails and travelling up her arms like delicate lace gloves. Once the dementors were driven off, presumably by the silver wall of light, the warmth that staved off the dementor's chill washed away as quickly as it had come. It all felt very strange, stranger somehow than the simple charms that Flitwick taught them, stranger than the effects she could brew into a potion, and stranger even than a game played atop flying broomsticks wherein magiced steel cannon balls fly through the air at top speed to dismount the players.

"Williams, you're never going to finish your essay if you keep staring at the front page of that book," said Malfoy without looking up from his own work.

Lost in her musings she'd almost forgotten he was there. She narrowed her eyes at his smirking face.

"Why don't you have a werewolf essay to write?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Professor Snape was in a better mood for our class I guess. But probably because no one in our lesson was falling all over themselves to defend Lupin."

He turned back to his book, leaving her with her own. She shook herself a bit, there would be time to dwell on dementors and glowing skin and silver walls of mist light later. For now she needed to get this essay finished. She thumbed through the book to the chapter that covered how to identify werewolves and did her best to focus on the words.

_Werewolves can be identified by a number of subtle clues even when they remain in their human form. Because of the painful nature of their transformations many werewolves are actually afraid of the full moon and their boggart may take that shape upon confronting them. Some werewolves have been documented as having a wolf or wolf-like patronus form. Experts believe this is due to the inherent nature of lycanthropy to alter the soul of the person infected therefore being reflected in their patronus. Some lycans will display wolf like tendencies even when they're not transformed, including but not limited to having an abnormally good sense of smell or hearing. However, all of these signs are easily hidden and not regular enough to be a reliable form of identification._

_There is one thing that cannot be hidden and that is the transformation itself and the toll it takes on the human body. By far the most common and easily recognizable signs are the unexplainable injuries often obtained during transformations and the regular exhaustion in the days leading up to and following the full moon. Werewolves will often 'fall ill' as a cover for their monthly transformations and the toll it takes on their bodies. Recognizing that this pattern of falling ill aligns with the cycle of the moon is the best way to identify a werewolf without seeing them transform._

The 'best' way to identify a werewolf was regular exhaustion, by that criteria Professor Lupin was a werewolf. Kaelix scoffed, there had to be something more specific, wasn't there some kind of spell that could be used to identify a werewolf? Lycanthropy was like an infection so it must alter DNA, surely it would show up on a blood test. She thumbed back to the table of contents hoping to find another section of the book addressing werewolf identification. She scanned the list, nothing. The index was even less helpful seeing as it didn't exist.

She stopped, suddenly remembering Professor Snape's words, " _Professor Lupin has an awful habit of falling terribly ill…"_  Had he been trying to tell her something? No, Professor Lupin couldn't be a werewolf, could he? She thought back to the times he'd looked especially exhausted; this week, Halloween, end of September, and when she'd first met him on the train. She grabbed her calendar out of her bag to double check what she already suspected to be true; each time he was noticeably more tired or ill had been around the full moon.

Her heartbeat quickened a bit as her eyes landed on the most recent full moon; last night.

"Williams?" Malfoy caught her attention again. "Something wrong?"

"No," she shook her head. "I just need to go ask Professor Snape a question about this essay."

"See you tomorrow then?"

She threw her calendar back in her bag, abandoning the research for her essay yet again.

"Yeah, tomorrow."

* * *

She threw open the door to his classroom a bit harder than she meant to, her hands were shaking and her heartbeat had quickened.

"Professor?" she called out.

No answer. Empty.

She crossed the corridor toward his office, "Professor?" she tried again.

But his office was empty too, with no sign that he'd been there recently. She scowled, now what? The only other place she could think to look was the teacher's lounge but she highly doubted she would find him there. The castle was enormous and he could be anywhere. Her best option was to just sit and wait, he was bound to return to his office eventually.

Before she could actually decide what to do, she heard footsteps coming up behind her.

"Miss Williams? Can I help you?" he asked.

She turned around and met Professor Snape's narrow gaze, if she didn't know any better she'd say he looked mildly concerned. But now that she was face to face with him she didn't know what to say. She suddenly wasn't sure why she even came here, for confirmation of her theory or to hear it denied.

"That essay you assigned," she said.

His posture stiffened, "Do you have a question about it?"

"No. Well, kind of," she stumbled a bit, still not certain what to say.

He waited silently for her to continue. She could feel the goosebumps forming across her skin that had nothing to do with the temperature of the dungeons. If she asked this question there was no going back. If what she suspected was true then it meant he'd lied to her and for what? The one thing she'd asked him not to do and he'd done it in spades. She was wrong, she realized, it didn't matter whether she asked the question or not, she was already past the point of no return.

"Professor Lupin," she said slowly.

"What about him?" he asked, his voice biting with resentment.

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat but it wouldn't move. "He's sick a lot. You said it's a habit of his."

Snape's penetrating gaze remained locked on her, not giving any indication that he understood what she was getting at.

"Last night," she clenched her hands to stave off the shaking, "Last night was a full moon." She didn't like the way her voice involuntarily waivered.

Professor Snape hardly blinked and still said nothing.

"Do you know?" she asked.

"Do I know what?" he asked evenly.

She took a steadying breath and asked in a barely audible voice, "Is he a werewolf?"

They stood in silence for a long moment, long enough that Kaelix began to wonder if he'd heard her at all. He had to know. One way or another he had to know, why else would he have assigned that particular essay? Why else would he have been so insistent that they learn how to identify a werewolf even when it wasn't transformed?

When he finally broke the silence his answer was short, "He is." After that he stepped around her and moved to his desk.

"No," she said in disbelief.

"No?" he raised an eyebrow at her.

"No," she shook her head, her brain not fully functioning to process Snape's words.

"You read about the signs of one being a werewolf, did you not?" he asked, far too formally.

"I did, but-" she started

"And then you noted how many of those signs Lupin exhibits?" he continued, taking a seat behind his desk.

"Yes," she said.

"And that led you to the logical conclusion of what he is, did it not?" he asked, as if he were simply quizzing her on potion ingredients.

"It looks suspicious but that doesn't mean it's true-"

"Which is why you came here for confirmation, isn't it?"

"No," she said before she knew it was the truth.

"No?" he asked again.

"No. I didn't come here for you to confirm it, I came here for you to talk some sense in me. For you to tell me I'm wrong," she said.

"You're not wrong," he said.

"I am," she insisted and then immediately faltered. Her gaze snapped back to his, "You did this. You set that essay on purpose. Why?"

His jaw clenched and his eyes took on a wild look, "Because I don't trust him. Because he's a liar."

"But why? What else has he-"

He rose sharply from his seat, leaning over his desk, "Because when we were students here, he and his best friend tried to kill me," he spoke with such vehement that Kaelix took a step back.

Her stomach dropped, the floor was slipping from beneath her. Lupin had tried to kill someone, when he was just a student. She flashed back to all the time they'd spent together over the course of the term. He was soft spoken, patient, but stern if anyone put themselves in any real danger during class. Trying to kill someone? That didn't seem like the person she knew. But that was just it, she didn't know him, not really. He was a werewolf after all and she hadn't known that. All of their lessons together, everything she thought about him suddenly shifted, he wasn't who she had thought he was.

"That was a long time ago," Professor Snape spoke again, quieter this time, sinking back down to his seat. "I didn't mean to alarm you. The Headmaster trusts him, but I don't and he won't hear anything about it. If you ever have any concerns about him, you can come to me."

Feeling dismissed and a little dazed, Kaelix turned to leave.

"You needn't finish writing that essay, you'll receive full credit," he said.

She nodded vaguely, the essay was the least of her concerns at the moment. She set off down the corridor, one thing clearing up in her foggy mind, she knew exactly where she was going next.

* * *

How dare he, how dare he not tell her that he was a werewolf. He had agreed not to lie to her, it was the one thing she'd asked of him and he just… Her mind was buzzing with a thousand thoughts at once. One of the foremost being that they had just been talking about werewolves last week and he'd just sat there quizzing her on how to treat a bite. Unbelievable. She walked straight through his classroom and into his office. It was empty. Didn't any of the professors actually use their offices? She glanced around the now familiar space, she saw his tattered old suitcase and his books. His desk was covered in student assignments yet to be graded and the small table by the door was covered in various trinkets.

She walked to his desk, her eyes absently tracing over the reports without registering any of the words.

"Kaelix?" his voice was hoarse and sounded strained.

She whipped around, ready to snap but when she saw him the words died in her throat. He was paler than she thought possible for a living person, and she could practically feel the exhaustion seeping off of him, it looked like he hadn't slept in days. His robes were shabbier than normal, freshly torn in several places. There were new scratches on his face and a more serious looking cut down his neck that disappeared beneath his robes. She also noticed that his weight was shifted significantly to his left leg and he was leaning on the door frame for support.

"Are you okay?" she asked, forgetting everything else for a moment.

"I've been a bit under the weather but I think I've passed the worst of it. Are you alright?" he asked, concern mingling in with his exhaustion.

Her anger bubbled back to the surface with that, "A bit under the weather,  _really?_ "

His brow furrowed but before he could offer another excuse she continued.

"What happened to your leg?" she asked, indicating his right, the one he was favoring.

He glanced down as if only just noticing it was there, "It's nothing, really." He was stalling, scrambling for a believable explanation. "I just took a spill down some stairs and it's a bit sore is all. Kaelix, what's going on?"

"You're a werewolf," she said, drawing her arms across her chest. "That is what's bloody going on."

The last bit of color drained from his face, his jaw clenched, and he wavered slightly on his feet. Despite already leaning against the doorway, he grabbed it for support. Kaelix fought back the words of concern that threatened to form on her lips. She'd be damned if she let them slip out before he explained himself. She couldn't let herself be concerned about his well being when she didn't even know who he really was.

"How?" he croaked.

"Your boggart, you're ill all the time, and Professor Snape," she said.

His gaze snapped back to meet hers, his eyes flared with anger, more anger than she'd ever seen from him and she wondered for a moment if she'd made a mistake coming here. Suddenly very aware of the fact that there was only one exit to his office and he was currently blocking it. She swallowed hard, not the brightest move she'd ever made. Not when she wasn't quite sure who stood in front of her. She leaned back against his desk to put just a little more space between them.

"Indirectly," she said defensively. "He set an essay after last class about the signs and symptoms of lycanthropy. Wanted us to be able to identify a werewolf whether transformed or not. I was doing research and I put it all together."

The anger faded from his eyes as he asked desperately, "Has anyone else?"

"I don't know. Why did it take a passive aggressive assignment from Snape to tell us? Why didn't we hear it from you?" she demanded.

"It's not exactly something you bring up in casual conversation," his voice was low but not threateningly so.

"You and I were just talking about werewolves last week, you didn't think to mention it then?" she asked.

"Right, after discussing ways to treat werewolf bites and their lasting effects I should have added 'oh and by the way, in case you hadn't noticed yet, I happen to be one'," he spat.

"Yes, you should have," she snapped.

"It's not that simple, Kaelix," he hissed.

"Yes it is," she insisted her voice raising. "It's the one thing I told you not to do, I told you not to lie to me. You should have just told me you're a-"

"Keep your voice down," he said harshly, pushing off the door framing and leaning into his words, "you have no idea what you're talking about. This has nothing to do with you, I didn't hide it from you, I hid it from everyone."

"I don't care if you hid it from everyone else, you're not tutoring everyone else, you didn't promise everyone else that you wouldn't lie to them, you promised me," her voice rose despite his warning.

"This isn't about you, you have no right to be angry with me over this," now his voice was the one rising.

"You lied to me, how can I trust anything you say anymore?"

"I didn't lie to you," he said.

"You didn't tell me the truth," she countered.

"I didn't tell you anything, that's not lying," he ground out the words through clenched teeth.

"It might as well be, you didn't think I should know what you are. You kept it from me," she snapped.

"Well, go on then," he shouted. "Tell everyone else  _what_ I am and you'll never have to suffer through another lesson with me again," his voice was laced with such anger it gave her chills.

He moved to cross the room but his right leg refused the weight and he doubled over with a sharp gasp of pain. Kaelix instinctively jumped up to help him but hadn't made it one step when he grabbed hold of the edge of his table to keep himself from falling to the floor. A few of the trinkets shook from the impact, one even toppling over and rolling off the edge of the table. He drew a long rattling breath that sent a shiver down Kaelix's spine, and then rose from his hunched position, careful to keep most of his weight on his left leg.

"I'm sorry for shouting," he said, his voice surprisingly even. "I can't imagine you want to spend anymore time in the same room as me, so please be on your way." He gestured to the doorway.

Of all the perplexing things that had happened today, this was perhaps the most perplexing. She wasn't entirely sure what she had expected his reaction to be, but she certainly hadn't expected this. This defeat. This resignation. Why did he care so much if she or anyone else knew? Her brow furrowed at the thought, why did this need to be a secret?

They stood in silence for a few moments, Professor Lupin's slightly labored breathing the only sound echoing around the room. She didn't think it was possible but somehow he looked even more exhausted now than when he'd first arrived. The full moon had been just last night. His hair was greying, scars new and old peppered his face and hands, his entire frame was strained. It was killing him. Not immediately but slowly stealing his years away. Her anger ebbed as she finally considered that maybe she'd been wrong.

"Professor Snape said he doesn't trust you, and that I shouldn't either," she said quietly.

Lupin sighed, "We don't have the best history, him and I. It doesn't surprise me that he would tell you that."

"He said," she hesitated, "he said you and one of your friends tried to kill him."

The little color that he'd regained drained from his face again.

"It's true?" she asked, realizing she hadn't entirely believed Professor Snape until now.

Lupin winced at her tone but he didn't deny it. "We were students here together, same year. He didn't exactly get along with my friends and I; we were in Gryffindor and he was in Slytherin. Over time he noticed my absences and he did his best to try to figure out where I disappeared to each month. I think he had this idea in his head that my friends and I were off wreaking havoc somewhere we weren't allowed. But I was actually transforming in a safe location."

"You transformed at  _school?_ " she asked in disbelief.

He shook his head, "Somewhere close by but inaccessible to other students."

"Where?" she asked.

Professor Lupin reached inside his robe pocket and retrieved his wand. With a quick flick and softly muttered spell, his chair flew over from behind his desk and situated itself next to him. With another small wave his office door swung quietly shut. He sunk down into the chair and looked back at her.

"The Shrieking Shack, just outside Hogsmeade. Dumbledore had it built just for me. In a moment of blind adolescent foolishness one of my friends, who perhaps hated Severus the most, told him how to get past the whomping willow that guards the passage that leads to the shack. So the next time I disappeared, he followed me having no idea that he was putting his life in danger."

Kaelix scoffed, "Sounds like you had some great friends."

Professor Lupin's jaw clenched briefly but she wasn't sure if it was her comment or what he had to say next, "He caught a glimpse of me after I'd transformed, if another of my friends hadn't caught wind of the scheme and gotten him out of there… I could have killed him."

Professor Lupin's expression was sheepish, he was still haunted by the thought.

He took a steadying breath and continued, "Severus was convinced that we had planned the whole thing together, that I was in on it. I think a piece of him still believes that to this day. My friends and I were horrible to him in school, we made his life hell. I can't imagine the memories my presence has drudged up for him. Old grudges run deep." His eyes grew distant for a moment. "But I like to think we've reached some semblance of mutual respect for one another. He's brewed a special potion for me for each full moon since I've arrived at Hogwarts. It helps me a great deal when I transform. It's a particularly advanced potion that I have never had the privilege of before, he doesn't have to brew it but he does."

Silence fell between them again. Kaelix was just trying to sort everything out. She was having a hard time imagining a school boy Lupin bullying a school boy Snape, let alone intentionally trying to get him killed. The shame of it all was plain on his face.

"What did you mean earlier when you said I'll never have to suffer through another lesson with you again?" she ventured.

"You made it perfectly clear on the first day that you never wanted these lessons and when word gets back to parents that I'm a…" his expression was one of disgust, he couldn't even say it. "They'll demand that I resign, if I don't they'll ask the Ministry to have me removed, and if that doesn't work then they'll pull their kids out of Hogwarts. They don't want someone like me around their children. The only reason I'm here now is because none of them know."

"I don't understand, why wouldn't they let you continue to teach?" she asked.

"Because they're afraid of me, of what I am," he said bitterly.

"Who's afraid?" She leaned against his desk again.

"Everyone. You're afraid, aren't you?" he asked.

"No, I'm not," she said a bit defensively.

"I can tell, Kaelix, I saw it on your face when I got here. There's this look in people's eyes once they've figured it out. I'll speak with Dumbledore tomorrow about continuing your lessons with another professor." His voice was even but she could see the pain he was hiding, the shame behind his words.

"I'm not afraid of you," she said.

"It's okay, I don't blame you," he said.

"No, it's not okay," she said firmly. "I don't care one way or another if you're a werewolf. I was afraid that you weren't who I thought you were, that I didn't know you. I didn't understand why you would lie about this and then with what Professor Snape said I just… I am  _not_  afraid of you."

"You have to understand, I wasn't trying to deceive you. I was only protecting myself," he said earnestly.

"I still don't understand why it matters to anyone, why do you have to keep it a secret?" she asked.

Professor Lupin adjusted in his seat and she didn't miss the flinch of pain as he did so. "How much did you read about werewolves?"

"Besides what we went over last week," she said pointedly, "mostly about how to identify them and a bit about their origin. Why?"

"You must have skipped over the views of society, as did I during your lesson last week. The world is not very kind to people like me. We are often regarded with fear and disgust, because people believe that we pose a threat at all times and that it's our own fault for becoming infected. There's a Ministry employee who has drafted anti-werewolf legislation, she has labelled us half-breeds and all but calls for us to be shunned by the wizarding world. It's nearly impossible to get a job, the only reason I was hired on as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor is because of Professor Dumbledore. In fact if it wasn't for him I never would have been able to attend school as a child, no other Headmaster would have allowed it."

"How can they blame you for something that is entirely beyond your control? Do they think this is fun for you? It's not as if you went out looking for the first werewolf you could find and said 'that fur looks super cool and I've always wanted to have a tail and a long fuzzy snout, hey would you mind just nipping me a bit so I can have my own?' Are they insane?"

Lupin looked a bit stunned by her words and she wondered if she'd overstepped. But then he chuckled, actually laughed at her. Five minutes ago they'd been shouting at each other and now he was laughing. She felt the corners of her mouth twitch as she fought to keep them from turning up.

"More importantly," she said, "what kind of a horrible person would propose legislation like that?"

His smile faded. "A privileged coward. I've never met her, but I've heard some stories, apparently she's a rather unpleasant woman. Goes by the name Umbridge. A name that unfortunately carries a lot of weight at the Ministry, at least enough to gather support for her legislation."

"Well she should be fired for discrimination," said Kaelix, making a note to give the woman a piece of her mind if she ever got the chance.

Kaelix had made a full turn now, and she realized she had no reason to be angry with Lupin over this and every reason to be angry with Umbridge and every other person who made him feel like he had to hide it in the first place. He wasn't hiding some significant facet of his character from her, he was hiding a condition that wizarding society had deemed worthy of not just disavowment but persecution. Her stomach twisted with the embarrassment of her rash and ignorant judgement. But he would forgive her, she knew he would, because despite her earlier doubt she did know him.

"I'm sorry, for the way I came in here," she said. "I didn't realize what it meant for you, if people found out. I didn't understand."

"It's okay. Like you said, you didn't know." His gaze dropped. "I'll speak with Dumbledore about changing your lessons, you should work with someone you can trust."

"I am with someone I trust," she said without hesitation.

He looked up at her, his surprise shown plainly on his face. He gave a tired but sincere smile, "Thank you."

"For what?" she asked.

"That look I told you I saw on your face when I got here," she nodded, "It's gone."

She felt a small smile creep onto her face and this time she didn't fight it off. "I told you, I don't care one way or another if you're a werewolf. I'm not afraid of you."

"I don't think you know how much that means to me, truly," he said sincerely.

She didn't know what to say in response but she felt so awkward standing there in the silence that stretched between them that she had to say something. "Are you sure you're alright? You look like hell."

"Well, at least I look better than I feel. I'll be fine," he said.

The weight of their conversation finally beginning to dissipate.

"He jokes, he must be okay. If you were alone in that shack all night then what happened to your leg?" she said, suddenly curious about the injury as it seemed rather significant.

"It really did involve some stairs amusingly enough," he said with a slight smirk, "but it's not that bad. It's just very sore and the pain relieving elixir I took earlier today seems to have run its course."

"Should I get you something from the Hospital Wing?" she asked.

"I actually have my private supply in the cupboard there," he gestured over her shoulder.

She was around the desk immediately, opening the cupboard door and about to grab a potion when she paused. She recognized those phials.

"Something wrong?" Professor Lupin asked.

She shook her head, "No, it's just," she retrieved one of the potions and turned back toward him, "I brewed these last week, Professor Snape said they were for the Hospital Wing."

"You made these?" he asked, sounding surprised.

She nodded, "Are they alright?"

"They're great," he said. "Excellent. I thought Severus had brewed them himself."

A satisfied smile crossed her lips and she moved back around his desk to hand him the potion.

"Can I ask you a serious question?" she said.

His expression hardened slightly, "Of course."

"So, Trelawney is a psychic, Hagrid's half giant, and you're a werewolf," she said.

He nodded.

"Is Professor Snape a vampire?" she asked with a serious expression.

Lupin actually laughed out loud at that.

"I'm perfectly serious," she said and he only laughed harder.


	12. Striking Similarities

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

Chapter 12: Striking Similarities

If Professor Lupin had been worrying about whether or not any other students had put together what Kaelix had, he'd wasted his time. It quickly became evident during their next class that no one else had taken Professor Snape's assignment seriously, excluding Hermione of course, who had prepared nearly double the assigned length of parchment on the subject. If anyone else figured it out it would be Hermione, but hopefully she'd gotten so wrapped up in the assignment and her other studies that tunnel vision prevented her from noticing the signs. She gave no indication during class that she'd figured it out.

Kaelix breathed a sigh of relief as the looming prospect that Professor Lupin would have to leave dissipated with each successive vocalized complaint about the essay. Several students had began protesting the very moment Professor Lupin had walked through the door and several of them kept on even after he had tactfully dismissed the assignment.

Professor Lupin caught her gaze and she saw him fighting to hold back a grin as Weasley exclaimed for what must have been the fourth time, " _two rolls of parchment!'_  Whereas Hermione was looking disappointed that her essay wouldn't be graded.

After the assignment was dismissed the class spirit improved greatly and they had a rather enjoyable lesson. Professor Lupin had brought in a box containing a hinkypunk, a wispy sort of creature that looked rather frail and harmless. Though he explained why that wasn't the case at all.

"They are known to lure unsuspecting travelers into bogs," he said while the class scribbled down notes. "You notice the lantern it's holding? Hops ahead a bit- people follow the light- and then-"

The small creature made a horrible squelching noise against the glass as if prompted by the professor.

When the bell rang, everyone gathered their things and headed for the door, but Kaelix hung back, stopping at Professor Lupin's desk on her way out.

"So I did all that research for nothing?" she teased, trying her best to sound put out.

He smiled, "You did learn a thing or two, I wouldn't call that nothing."

"I suppose that's true, but I could have prioritized better if I'd known the essay would be thrown out," she said with a smile.

"And yet, somehow you managed. Wait a moment, Harry," he called past her, "I'd like a word. Kaelix, I'll see you this evening."

She nodded, "See you then."

Kaelix moved to join the rest of the departing students, her gait slow and her stomach twinging as Potter approached Lupin's desk.

"I heard about the match," said Lupin, as he covered the hinkypunk's box with a cloth, "and I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?"

"No," said Potter solemnly. "The tree smashed it to bits."

Lupin sighed and it grated against Kaelix. Why was he having a fireside chat with Potter? They weren't close, no closer than a normal student and teacher at least. She stopped at the doorway and glanced back to where they both stood, her stomach churning. Why did he care about Potter's stupid broken broom? And more importantly, why did it bother Kaelix so much that he did? It wasn't as if Professor Lupin belonged to her. But why did it have to be Potter?

"They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts," said Lupin. "People used to play a game with the branches, running dangerously close…"

Kaelix stopped listening after that and a small smile formed on her lips. The Whomping Willow. Lupin passed it off to Potter as a coincidence, that it just happened to be planted the same year that Lupin started attending the school. But she knew that wasn't the case. Her smile widened a bit. Potter may be getting attention for his broom, but he wasn't so close as to know that the Willow was planted that year  _because_  Lupin had arrived at Hogwarts. She turned and left the classroom, her stomach settling a bit.

* * *

Kaelix arrived at Professor Lupin's classroom that evening with a small sigh of relief. Though she still wouldn't admit it, at some point she had begun looking forward to their lessons and the prospect of losing them hadn't quite dissipated until she crossed the threshold.

This evening they spent some time practicing the repair charm,  _reparo_ , and the fire charm,  _incendio_. They also revisited the transfiguration spells he'd introduced to her during the previous week; turning a beetle into a button, and a pair of rabbits into a pair of slippers. Her first attempt to transfigure the beetle resulted in a button scurrying blindly across his desk, but by her second try she produced an inanimate blue button. The rabbit proved to be a bit more challenging.

From the start the rabbits were nothing but uncooperative and Professor Lupin ended up casting a spell to keep them from hopping away between each of Kaelix's attempts. After several attempts and a myriad of different outcomes ranging from inanimate stuffed rabbits that in no way resembled slippers to slippers that maintained all four rabbit feet and both floppy ears, hopping swiftly away across the room, Kaelix was getting irritated and Professor Lupin was tiring and developing a headache. He suggested they take a break for a bit. Kaelix sat indignantly in the chair across from him.

"Kaelix?" he ventured.

"What?" she snapped a bit harsher than intended.

"Try not to get frustrated. You're doing excellent all things considered," he said.

"I wouldn't be so frustrated if I wasn't having so much trouble with transfiguration. All the other spells are easy, why are these so much more difficult? Why am I struggling so much?" she asked, drawing her arms across her chest.

"You're hardly struggling," he said with a small smile. "It's just that some things come more naturally than others. You're excelling at charms and potions, you've covered nearly an entire year's worth of material in half that time. You can't expect to master every spell on your first or second attempt."

She continued to scowl.

"Besides," he said, his small smile growing into something of a grin, "you're the only third year, the only student I have that has successfully identified a werewolf."

She shook her head and fought back the involuntary smile, "That's because I'm your only third year who took the assignment seriously, and besides neither you nor I wanted any of them to successfully identify a werewolf."

"Yes, well, Professor Snape was just filling in, he really wasn't supposed to hand out any assignments in my absence, let alone one like that," he said, leaning back in his chair.

"Weasley just couldn't get over the length of it, how many times did he say ' _two rolls of parchment!'_ " she laughed lightly as she remembered his outrage, her hands falling to her lap. "Two rolls of parchment isn't even that long."

"I honestly thought I would be packing my bags by now, I can hardly believe that I'm not." He ran a hand through his hair.

"Have you spoken with Professor Snape since he set that essay?" she asked, pulling her feet up into the chair and tucking them beneath her.

He shook his head, "He seems to be avoiding me more than usual of late, I'm sure it's completely unrelated. This probably goes without saying but I don't think he'll be covering my class again."

Kaelix nearly snorted, "But it went  _so well_  the first time. And it was a nice break for me, since I'm stuck with you more than anyone else."

"Tragically unfortunate that it didn't work out with Snape. But you're stuck with me for the duration," he said.

She shrugged, "It's not so bad. Besides, nothing rolls off the tongue quite like Lesson with Lupin does."

He chuckled at her pet name for their lessons, "Good, we still have half the school year left."

"I really am glad that no one else took that assignment seriously, that none of them figured it out," she said.

He smiled, "As am I. I'm not ready to leave Hogwarts quite yet." He stifled a yawn. "What do you say we call it a night? Keep practicing those transfiguration spell and we'll try them again next time."

She nodded and rose from her seat. Slinging her bookbag across her shoulder she was about to say goodnight when another thought occurred to her.

"Can I ask you about something else?" She adjusted the strap of her bag, pulling at the hair that had been trapped beneath it.

"Of course," he said, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Do you know anyone by the name of Michael O'Conner?" she asked.

"Doesn't ring a bell," he said.

"What about Alexandra Fuhrmann?"

He shook his head, "Not that I can recall."

"How about Katherine Holstein?"

She did not miss the physical jolt that went through his body, if they'd been walking down stairs he might have missed a step. His whole body tensed a bit, his eyes narrowing slightly, his knuckles not quite white but grabbing the arms of his chair firmly.

"How do you know that name?" he asked.

"The old man at the wand shop, Olliander's? Vallander's?" she wasn't sure if that was the right name, "the one in Diagon Alley. He said my wand was related to hers and the other two. Made it seem like a big deal or something so I was just curious," she said.

"Oh," he sounded almost disappointed and looked like he'd just taken a sucker punch to the gut.

Her hands slid up and down the strap of her bag as she teetered at the edge of her next question.

"Did you know her?" she asked.

He paused, his gaze dropping. She wondered if he would even answer, if she had somehow crossed a line that she hadn't even seen. When she'd thought about asking him about the names, even when it had occurred to her that they could have attended Hogwarts at the same time, she'd never considered the fact that he could have known Katherine personally.

He stood, gathering up the books and papers on his desk. His movements jagged, distracted. She bit her bottom lip, wondering if she should just duck out and pretend she'd never brought up the names. He fumbled in his hastey movements, causing a stack of books he was adjusting to topple off the edge of his desk. He scrambled and caught one of them as the others clattered to the floor. He stared at the books where they fell and didn't move, like he was frozen on the spot. Kaelix had to look closely to tell if he was still breathing.

Her own breathing nearly stopped. It was unsettling to see him so rattled.

"I did," he said quietly. He stooped to collect the fallen books, his movements smoother now as he placed them back atop his desk. When he squared to face her again he had recovered, the tumultuous shock that had risen in him at the mention of her name had calmed once more. "She was the same year as me and the same house as well."

She nearly swallowed her next question because it didn't seem appropriate to ask given his reaction. And she didn't know whether it was curiosity, fear, or a combination of both, but something drew it from her lips. "Do you know what happened to her?" she asked softly.

He shook his head, "Just that she disappeared one day and was never seen or heard from again. That was years ago now, I can't imagine anyone is still looking for her."

"But how is it she was never found? Didn't anyone go looking for her?" she asked.

A ghost of a pained expression crossed his features but it was gone a moment later. "You have to understand, the time she went missing… it wasn't unusual for people to disappear back then. A war was brewing. Some people ran, some weren't so lucky. I'm certain they looked for her but there's only so much they could do. After a few years she would have been presumed dead."

Kaelix swallowed hard, "But, what about… isn't there some spell or charm or something? What's even the point in magic if you can't use it for something as simple as finding people?"

"Even magic has its limitations," he said solemnly. "Why are you so interested in what happened to her?"

Kaelix shrugged, in part to downplay her interest but also because she wasn't entirely certain herself. The Inn Man had certainly contributed to her curiosity but it was Mr. Ollivander's initial comments about the connection between the wands that was the catalyst. But still, why did she care?

"I guess I'm just curious," she bit her lip in hesitation, then continued, "since I don't know who my real parents were, this wand thing is the only real connection that I have to the wizarding world." She didn't realize it was true until she said it. Her cheeks grew warm, "Wow, that sounds really dumb."

His expression softened, "No it doesn't," he assured her. "I didn't realize you didn't know your parents, I'm sorry to hear that."

Something welled up inside her but she shoved it off with a shake of her head, "It's fine. Better than knowing them all this time and then having them taken away I suppose." She dropped her gaze to the floor and busied her hands with adjusting her book bag strap.

"Still," he said quietly, "not the hand you deserved to be dealt."

Her hands stilled. "Seems like we were both dealt from the same deck," she said with a half forced laugh.

"Yes, well, it's what we do with them that matters, isn't it?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I guess so."

Something like dawning realization rippled across his features. "Is Williams your adoptive parents' surname?" he asked casually.

"Foster parents," she corrected, "But no, I had it before. I'd always assumed it was my real parents'. It's the only thing I have from them."

He nodded. He lowered himself down into his desk chair and rubbed his leg. "I can understand your want to find a connection to the wizarding world. It can be hard to feel like an outsider. But if your curiosity about these wand relatives is stemming from some question as to whether or not you belong here, please know that you belong here. That fact is indisputable."

She forced a small smile at his reassuring words. He somehow knew what to say even when she couldn't articulate her own curiosity. Though his words only addressed a portion, it was an important portion.

"Thank you," she said. "See you next time."

* * *

As the holidays drew nearer the castle was suddenly hit with the buzz of Christmas. Professor Flitwick had decorated his classroom with shimmering lights that turned out to be real, fluttering fairies. Everyone was happily discussing their plans for the holiday break. Most of them, it turned out, went home to spend time with their families. Professor McGonagall had approached Kaelix in early December and asked whether she would like to make arrangements to do the same. She politely declined and opted to stay at the castle. As unappealing as the prospect of being nearly alone in the huge castle with Potter was, she would take that over spending time with the Penburys any day. And besides, the castle was huge and she figured there had to be somewhere she could hide where Potter wouldn't be able to find her.

There was another Hogsmeade trip scheduled for the last weekend of the term, and by the time it came around everyone was overly excited to do their holiday shopping in the village.

"Looks like I'll be staying at the castle for the holiday as well," Malfoy announced as they made their way through the crowded cobble street.

"I thought you said you always went home over holidays?" Kaelix asked.

"I usually do but my mother and father are going on a private holiday this year. So they want me to stay here instead of in a big empty house," he said.

She scrunched her nose up trying to return some feeling to her numb features. "You don't sound like you agree." she said, glancing his way.

He shrugged, "It's either a big empty house or a big empty castle, doesn't make much difference to me. Either option is better than the alternative."

Kaelix barely caught the last bit of what he said and figured she wasn't meant to based on how quiet he'd gotten. She had a distractingly snarky comment on the tip of her tongue when Zabini spoke up.

"Malfoy, you know you can always stay at my place. My parents won't mind," Zabini said.

"And put up with that brat sister of yours bothering me the whole time? No thanks," he said with an overly expressive eye roll.

Kaelix nearly laughed at his theatrics, "Well at least now I'll have someone to talk to. Otherwise I might have to start answering Potter's pesky little questions and I don't think that would end well for either of us," she said with a smirk. "Oh, hang on, I need to stop in here for something." She gestured to Honeydukes.

The others stopped with her, Malfoy looking skeptical.

"I thought you were allergic to all things sugary?" he asked.

"No, just the ones containing cocoa," she replied.

"So what are you getting from Honeydukes then?" asked Nott.

"Chocolate," she said.

"Which definitely falls into the cocoa category,? said Zabini like he wasn't sure.

"Obviously it isn't for me," she said.

"Williams, if you're getting me a Christmas present you really should do it when I'm not around," Malfoy said with a smirk.

"Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy," she rolled her eyes, "I only get presents for my friends."

"Then I'm surprised you're buying any at all," he teased.

"Who's it for then?" asked Zabini.

"The miniature troll that I've been keeping under my bed," Kaelix said without hesitation. "If I don't feed him he gets irritable and bothersome."

Nott laughed, Zabini looked confused, and the corner of Malfoy's mouth twitched as he fought off a smile.

"Let me guess, he only eats sweets?" asked Nott.

She nodded, "Refuses anything else. Makes it terribly difficult to keep him on a balanced diet."

"Where did you get a miniature troll and how did you get it into the castle?" Zabini asked.

Malfoy scoffed and shook his head.

"Zabini, don't be dense," said Nott.

She fought to contain her smirk at Zabini's question, he never could catch her sarcasm.

"You're ridiculous, you do know that right?" said Malfoy.

"I'm aware," she said slyly. "I'll just be a minute."

As she turned to duck into the shop she heard Zabini ask, "Seriously, Malfoy? She has a troll living under her bed?" She laughed to herself at the disbelief in his voice.

The overwhelming scent of sugary sweets washed over her and she nearly choked.  _How do people enjoy this,_  she wondered. Wading through the throng of students packed into the small shop, she made her way over to a rather elaborate chocolate display. She scanned the myriad of different options and wondered why there had to be so many. Maybe she'd understand if she could eat any of it. She shook her head and scanned the different wrappers, trying in vain to find just a plain bar.

The tiny hairs at the back of her neck rose and she felt a pair of eyes watching her. A familiar figure a few paces away beckoned her silently. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw Malfoy engrossed in an animated conversation with Zabini and Nott, they wouldn't notice if she took a few minutes more. She casually moved around the chocolate display, pretending to admire the many different flavors and shapes it came in while gradually moving to stand next to the Inn Man. Feeling a bit like she was in the midst of one of those crime dramas, meeting up with her covert contact on the inside. She smiled to herself at the thought.

"Are you here to check up on me?" she asked, casually sifting through the display.

"I thought you might like to discuss what you've learned," he asked, not entirely facing her.

Yes, this definitely had all the charm of an undercover meetup. He had opted to leave his hood down, which perhaps drew less attention in the crowded shop. Though he still looked a bit out of place with so many students around, but no one seemed to take note of him.

"Really? Because I thought you might want to provide a few more hints if you wanted me to learn anything worth discussing," she kept her tone casual.

He paused, finally looking directly at her and scrutinized her closely, "You haven't learned a thing have you?"

"It's not as if I haven't tried," she replied, picking up a chocolate to examine it. "I haven't been able to find any reference to those names anywhere beyond Katherine's disappearance 14 years ago. Do you have any more helpful little hints you'd like to offer up or are you content to provide useless remarks on my lack of progress despite significant effort?"

He heaved an irritated sigh, "Must I spell it out for you?"

Kaelix rolled her eyes, her own irritation bubbling. "Katherine went missing over 14 years ago and no one has seen or heard from her since. There's no record of her ever marrying and no one currently attending Hogwarts shares her surname.

"Alexandra purchased her wand nearly 35 years ago, which would make her about 44 years old, not exactly someone I can ask around my dormitory about. I couldn't find anyone with the last name of Fuhrmann in previous Hogwarts classes, though I admittedly didn't look through all of them as that would have taken years and I have homework.

"Michael would have to be over 80 by now, are there any wizarding nursing homes I should try? Because I couldn't find any other O'Connors in the years since he attended here either.

"And Black? Well I guess I know the most about him but still only so much as he allegedly went on a killing spree years ago and has been holed up in Azkaban ever since. Until he broke out of course. And then broke into Hogwarts.

"So unless you want to wait for me to comb through every single article of every single Daily Prophet issue, and turn each and every page of the entire Hogwarts library looking for what happened to these people then I suggest you give me something a little more to work with than just their names and ambiguous comments regarding their connections."

He eyed her with a scowl of disapproval to rival Snape's but there was a small hint of amusement there as well. "Were I in your place I would try around 1937 for the O'Connor boy and 1972 for Miss Fuhrmann. Make sure you look past whatever was deemed worthy of the cover story on that particular day."

"Wow, that really narrows it down," she said, picking up a chocolate bar to examine it a little closer. "So now I just have 365 issues to comb through for each of them, and that's assuming you've given me the actual years and I won't have to look in the adjacent years. I have seven classes you know," She replaced the bar to its place on the display and held up seven fingers, "each with their own homework and additional lessons three nights a week on top of that," she ticked off her three remaining fingers and wiggled all ten at him, "so if you expect to discuss this again before I graduate then you'll need to narrow it down a bit more."

"Watch your tone, child," he snapped.

"Or what?" she said, crossing her arms. "You're the one who started this whole charade, if it's not going quite how you planned then maybe you should reevaluate your tactics, Mr… oh that's right, you still haven't told me your name. Why is that, by the way? You already knew my name from the start, it's only fair that you would tell me yours."

"May 1937. December 1972. I expect you to know something by the next time we speak," he almost growled at her.

"So that's a no on the name thing?" she asked.

His eyes narrowed, "All in due time, Miss Williams, all in due time."

"And what about Katherine and Black?" she asked.

"You already know what happened to Katherine and Black, don't you? Or have I truly underestimated how oblivious and incompetent you are?" he said.

She smirked to herself at the irritation that rippled through his voice. "Actually, according to what I found,  _no one_  knows what happened to Katherine. Unless of course, you do?"

His face twitched.

"I'll take that as a yes," she said, innocently plucking another bit of chocolate off the display.

"If you were half as clever as you think you are then you'd have figured that out already. There's more connecting Katherine and Black than just their wands," he said.

"So you do know about the wands, I was wondering if you were ever going to admit that," she flipped the chocolate over to examine the contents listed on the back. He stifled an irritated sound and she flashed a smile his way, "What's wrong? Didn't mean to admit that quite yet?"

"Hardly," he said through tight lips.

"Well, if you're referring to the fact that Katherine had been living with Black prior to her disappearance then I've already found that. Unless you're hinting at some other connection between the two of them?" she asked.

"I'm only hinting at what's right in front of you. If you know what Black's done, and you know that Katherine disappeared then you must have looked right past it. True coincidences are very rare, Miss Williams, and used as an explanation far too often. I hope you remember that in the interim. We'll speak again soon," he turned sharply and departed without another word.

"Nice chatting with you," she said overly cheerful at his retreating back, reveling at the small head shake her words elicited.

She turned to finally take a bit of chocolate to the checkout and stopped dead before she took a single step. Across the shop, beyond the colorful displays of different treats and the buzzing conversations of those browsing the shop, was Potter. He was staring straight at her, his eyes full of questions. There was no doubt in her mind that he'd been watching her long enough to at least have seen the Inn Man depart. His mind would already be buzzing with speculation about the topic of their conversation. Had he heard any of it? No one else paid them any attention in the crowded shop but Potter, the nosey pratt, Potter would have damn near strained his neck to catch a single word of their conversation.

She held his gaze, daring him to come ask her about it.

His face was scuffed with a bit of dirt and his brow was damp with sweat. He looked like he'd run the whole way here from the castle. She broke their stalemate and moved to the counter to purchase the chocolate she'd selected. She reassured herself that he'd been clear across the shop and there was no way that he could have heard any of their conversation. By the time she completed her purchase and turned back, he was gone.

After rejoining Malfoy, Nott, and Zabini they decided to head to the Three Broomsticks to warm up with some butterbeer. They moved through the crowded establishment and were nearly at the back before they found an open table. It seemed everyone else had the same idea of taking refuge from the cold weather. A second later the bartender arrived with a warm smile and asked for their orders.

"Lucky we got here when we did," Zabini said looking around. "Doesn't look like they're any tables empty now."

"Does it always get this cold here in the winter?" Kaelix asked.

"Yes and no," said Malfoy, "It's always cold but there aren't usually dementors making rounds, they put their own sort of chill in the air."

"I hope they aren't around too much longer, they're more unsettling than comforting if you ask me," said Nott.

"Were they supposed to be comforting?" Kaelix asked, sipping her warm butterbeer.

Nott shrugged, "Supposed to protect us from Black. As if he hadn't already gotten past them when he escaped Azkaban. I'm not sure which would be worse running into a dementor or running into Black."

"I don't think Black is the worse of the two," she said. "At least he's human."

"I'd prefer to avoid both of them," said Malfoy.

Zabini and Nott murmured their agreement.

"Do you think Black's still in the area, Minister?" the question distracted Kaelix from her present company.

She scanned the crowd, her gaze settling on a table halfway across the room that housed three teachers, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Hagrid, and another older fellow wearing a bowler hat. It had been Madame Rosmerta who'd asked the question as she delivered their drinks.

"I'm sure of it," said the man in the hat, who Kaelix assumed must be the Minister.

Kaelix almost missed it, they were within earshot but the hum of other conversations nearly drowned them out.

"You know that the dementors have searched the whole village twice?" said Madame Rosmerta, her voice sharp. "Scared all my customers away… It's very bad for business, Minister."

Kaelix glanced at her companions who were in a very heated discussion about the next Quidditch match, oblivious to her tuning out of their conversation. Her gaze flicked back over to the Professors.

"Rosmerta, m'dear, I don't like them anymore than you do," said the Minister, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Necessary precaution… unfortunate, but there you are… I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore- he won't let them inside the castle grounds."

"I should think not," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around?"

"Hear, hear!" squeaked tiny Professor Flitwick, whose feet were dangling a foot from the ground on his stool.

"All the same," demurred the Minister, "they are here to protect you all from something much worse… We all know what Black's capable of…"

"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it," said Madam Rosmerta, resting her hand on her hip. "Of all the people to go over to the Dark side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought… I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead."

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta," said the Minister gruffly. "The worst he did isn't widely known."

Kaelix sat a little straighter, making sure not to miss a word. Keen to hear what was worse than killing thirteen people.

"The worst?" Rosmerta asked, her voice thick with curiosity. "Worse than murdering all those poor people, you mean?"

"I certainly do," said the Minister.

"I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?"

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," murmured Professor McGonagall. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally," she said, with a small laugh. "Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here- ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

Kaelix's jaw fell slack in disbelief, her mouth opening slightly without a single word on her tongue. Potter wasn't exactly a common last name. Black and Potter's father were friends.

"Precisely," said Professor McGonagall. "Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course - exceptionally bright, in fact - but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers-"

"I dunno," chuckled Hagrid, "Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money. And there's only two of 'em."

"Those two were inseparable! You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers," chimed in Professor Flitwick.

Not just friends. Best friends.

"Of course they were," said the Minister. "Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry. Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him."

"Oh, shit," Kaelix said without realizing.

"What is it, Williams?" Malfoy asked.

She just shushed him and kept listening.

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" whispered Rosmerta.

Kaelix's brow furrowed, though everyone at the table seemed to know exactly who Rosmerta was referring to.

"Worse even than that m'dear…" the Minister dropped his voice here and leaned in, as if for the first time in their conversation afraid of who might overhear them. He glanced around briefly before continuing in a low rumble that Kaelix could barely make out. "Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who wasn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm."

"How does that work?" Rosmerta voiced Kaelix's very question.

Professor Flitwick cleared his throat and spoke up, "An immensely complex spell," he squeaked, "Involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find - unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret-Keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window!"

"So Black was the Potters' Secret-Keeper?" whispered Rosmerta.

"Naturally," said Professor McGonagall. "James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would rather die than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go into hiding himself… and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper himself."

"He suspected Black?" gasped Rosmerta.

"He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements," said Professor McGonagall darkly. "Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who."

"Black betrayed them," Rosmerta whispered in disbelief.

Kaelix wondered how much of this Potter knew, if any of it. It certainly would explain some of his nosiness if he expected anyone to betray him the way Black had betrayed his parents.

"Who's You-Know-Who?" she asked, interrupting whatever subject the boys had been discussing.

"Who?" asked Malfoy.

"You-Know-Who?" she repeated. "I've heard a couple different people talk about this You-Know-Who person as if everyone knows exactly who it is. And if everyone knows who this person is then why does everyone call them You-Know-Who? Why not just come out and say who you're talking about?"

Nott leaned forward with one of the most serious expressions Kaelix had ever seen him with, "Are you asking about the Dark Lord?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"I don't know, am I?" Kaelix said in a mock whisper.

"No one says the Dark Lord's name, so those who don't support him refer to him as You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, although that second one is a bit of a mouth full. How is it that you've never heard of this before?" asked Zabini.

"I'm new here remember? Haven't gotten caught up on my history of magic quite yet," she said.

Nott eyed her a bit suspiciously, "You know, if you weren't so good at keeping Malfoy in check we might not keep you around."

"Good to know you're just using me, Nott. Now tell me about this Dark Lord, is he some sort of real life villain? Is he actually the Lord of anything or is it just a fancy title?" she asked.

"He believes that we shouldn't have to hide from muggles, living in fear of what they'd do to us if they discovered us. He thinks the whole world should know we exist, and know what we're capable of. But not everyone agrees with that point of view," said Malfoy with a pointed glance toward the table she'd previously been eavesdropping on. "And that's all we should say about it in this pub. It's not a very popular topic."

Kaelix opened her mouth, ready with a sharp retort about not being bothered by what is or isn't popular but Malfoy shook his head. Something in his expression made her close her mouth, resolving to ask about it again when there were fewer people around. Instead she refocused on the conversation across the room, and just in time.

"Did we ever find out what happened to Lily's friend, Katherine?" asked Rosmerta.

Kaelix was sure she would have fallen over had she not already been sitting down. They couldn't mean…

"Katherine Holstein?" said Professor McGonagall. "Sadly, no. Even after all these years we've never found out what happened to her."

"Wasn't she with Black?" asked Rosmerta.

"She was," said McGonagall sadly, "she had been for years, right up until she went missing. Must have been nearly two years before Black went to Azkaban when she disappeared."

"And she was never found?" said Rosmerta.

"Williams?" said Malfoy.

She didn't answer, keeping her gaze fixed on the Minister's lips so she could make out what he was saying.

The Minister shook his head, "Despite our best efforts. But I think… I think we all know what really happened."

"You don't think she turned as well?" asked Rosmerta in disbelief.

Malfoy looked over his shoulder to see what she was focused on, "What are you looking at?"

"The Minister and those professors, now be quiet," she snapped.

"Merlin no," said the Minister. "But let's put it this way, I highly doubt that Pettigrew and the twelve others that died that day were his first victims."

"You think he killed her too? But why?" Rosmerta asked, somehow seeming even more shocked than before.

"How can you possibly hear them from-" Malfoy started.

"I can't with you talking," she hissed.

"What are they-"

She reached forward and clamped her hand over his mouth, straining to hear the Minister's response.

"I think she found out what Black was up to and he - this isn't official mind you, we never found any evidence but - I think he had to keep her quiet somehow and, well, we all know what he's capable of," said the Minister.

"You think he was working for You-Know-Who all that time?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he had been from the beginning," the Minister said.

Rosmerta was shaking her head in amazement, "No one could keep that up for so long."

"Well he didn't did he? You should have seen him that day. I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people," said the Minister. "I- I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black just standing there laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him… a heap of bloodstained robes and a few - a few  _fragments-_ "

"I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban," the Minister said. "You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark; there's no sense in them… but I was shocked at how  _normal_  Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored - asked if I'd finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the dementors seemed to be having on him - and he was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Dementors outside his door day and night."

"But what do you think he's broken out to do?" said Rosmerta. "Good gracious, Minister, he isn't trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?"

"I daresay that is his - er - eventual plan," said the Minister. "But we hope to catch Black long before that. I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing… but give him back his most loyal servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he could rise again…"

There was a small chink of glass on wood as the Minister set down his drink.

"You know, Cornelius, if you're dining with the headmaster, we'd better get back up to the castle," said Professor McGonagall.

One by one, Kaelix saw them all rise from their seats and make their way over to the door, Madame Rosmerta returned to the bar. Kaelix's mind was somersaulting.

"Oou mmnow ah mmut ah Hm mnnoyinn thif," Malfoy's muffled speech snapped Kaelix out of her own head and she realized her hand was still over his mouth.

She snatched her hand back with a sympathetic smile, "Sorry. If you didn't have such a big mouth."

"I have to agree with Williams on this one, Malfoy, that mouth of yours is huge," said Nott.

Malfoy ignored his comment, "So what were they talking about that warranted you assaulting me to make sure you heard every word?"

"Don't be so dramatic, I barely touched you," she said dismissively. "They were talking about Black. About how no one knew he was working for this Dark Lord until the day he killed everyone and that he probably escaped in order to rejoin him. What I don't understand is if that's his goal then why waste all this time breaking into Hogwarts?"

The boys exchanged glances and Kaelix knew she was missing something, something significant.

"What is it?" she asked, looking between the three of them. "You know why he's here don't you?"

Zabini and Nott remained silent and looked to Malfoy.

"If Black really is planning to find and rejoin You-Know-Who, to help him rise back to power, then he's probably trying to get to Potter," he explained.

"Why, what does Potter and his family have to do with any of this? Why did the Lord of Darkness go after them in the first place?" she asked.

"No one really knows what happened that night but the rumor is he wasn't after the whole family, just Potter," Nott chimed in.

"But something went wrong, he killed both parents and then just disappeared. Supposedly he sent the killing curse at Potter and it backfired, no knows why or how or if that's even what happened. But if it's true then that means Potter is the only person who's ever been hit with the killing curse and survived," said Malfoy. He lowered his voice farther before he continued, "Some people believe he's the only one who can defeat the Dark Lord, since he survived the killing curse. That means he's the only real threat to You-Know-Who. If Black really wants to see the Dark Lord return, then he's come to deal with Potter."

She leaned back in her chair, trying to mentally sort through all the information she'd just recieved. Between the Minister's conversation with the Professors and Malfoy filling in some blanks, she almost had enough pieces of the puzzle to start seeing the picture.

"So Black is here to kill him?" she asked.

"The only person who knows for sure is Black. But if that is his goal, I'd say it's only a matter of time," said Malfoy.

Kaelix paused for a moment, something didn't add up. "But he was James Potter's best friend, it doesn't make sense. You don't just betray your friends like that. And why did he make such a scene when that Pettigrew fellow confronted him? You can't tell me that a man believed to have fooled his best friend for years, a man who has now escaped Azkaban and broken into Hogwarts, a man like that doesn't just get caught in the middle of the street one day."

Malfoy shrugged, "He probably wasn't thinking straight, the Dark Lord was missing, some thought he was dead. Either way, he's out now and it doesn't look like the Ministry's ill equipped Aurors can catch him. Did you overhear anything else?"

Her mind flipped back to the mention of Katherine. The Minister's idea that Black had killed her all those years ago for finding out who he really was.

"No," she said, "nothing of any interest anyway."

Nothing of interest to anyone else at least. She frowned, realizing that on top of all the interesting information she'd learned this afternoon, she'd also learned something extremely irritating; she had a connection, no matter how feeble it was, to Potter.

"Williams, you eavesdropping on another conversation?" asked Malfoy.

"Hmm?" she snapped back to her present company, "yeah- no, just daydreaming."

"Are you sure? You looked irritated?"

"I'm fine, just not feeling well. I think I'm going to head back and lie down for a bit," she said.

"Already? Do you want me to go with you?" he offered.

She shook her head, "No, don't cut your day short on my account."

"Are you sure? I don't mind," he said.

"If you'd prefer better company, I can escort you back," Nott said with a grin.

"As generous as both offers are, I'll be okay on my own. Stay, drink your butterbeer, and talk about whatever it is you talk about when I'm not around," she said rising from her seat.

"See you at dinner," Malfoy called after her.

She waved a hand to show she heard him as she made her way to the door. She her Zabini make a snide comment under his breath that she couldn't quite make out. What she did hear was Malfoy telling him to sod off. She rolled her eyes,  _boys._

* * *

As soon as she was back at the castle, Kaelix went straight for the library, which she found satisfyingly empty. Between the Hogsmeade weekend and most everyone having left for the holiday, there weren't many students left at the castle, and even those that were still there weren't worrying about their studies for at least a week.

She was rifling through the Daily Prophet archives with newfound motivation. First the Inn Man returned with his additional hints regarding the dates she should be looking at and then the conversation she'd overheard about Black and Katherine. If two of them had a connection to this Dark Lord then maybe the other two did as well. It seemed to be an unpopular opinion, one that might cause a person to go missing without a trace, never to be heard from again.

She started with the earliest information, May of 1937, figuring it was be better to start from the beginning. The beginning of what she had at least. May 12th, nothing. May 13th, nothing. May 14th, nothing. Why did the Inn Man insist on being difficult? May 15th, nothing. What was so wrong with just giving her the date? May 16th, nothing. At least he narrowed it down to a month, she told herself. May 17th, nothin- It wasn't the name that caught her eye first; it was the headline of a small article buried on the second to last page of the issue.

_**Muggle Town Levelled** _

_**Missing Wizard Responsible** _

_Late last evening reports began flooding in of an alleged attack on the muggle town of Ipswich located 80 miles outside of London. The reports included a significant amount of unauthorized magic in front of numerous muggles, and a cataclysmic amount of destruction to the north portion of the town. Initial reports speculated that it was a group of wizards who attacked the town due to the shear volume of damage, but Authorities have only confirmed the presence of one wizard at the scene, Michael O'Conner._

_O'Conner had been reported missing August 11th of the previous year, and is believed to be solely responsible for the destruction at this time and will remain the sole suspect until evidence is found to suggest another wizard was present at the scene. It appears that no one had seen or heard from O'Conner since he'd gone missing, and his whereabouts during that time are still unknown. His body was mutilated almost beyond recognition and authorities are doubtful that they will be able to discern much, if anything, about where he was or what he was doing during the time he was missing._

_O'Conner attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1920 to 1927, from which he graduated and moved on to take a research position with the Department of Mysteries. Authorities do not currently have any leads as to why O'Conner would commit this unprovoked act of violence against this small muggle town, and urge anyone with any information about this man to come forward immediately._

Kaelix blinked. Another person who had gone missing without a trace, never to be seen or heard from again, and then he turns up dead over a year later. Suspicious didn't even begin to describe Kaelix's current state of mind. She flipped quickly back to the previous August and found a small missing person report, similar to the one she'd found for Katherine Holstein. Eerily similar in fact. No one saw or heard anything, the morning of August 11th he just disappeared.

She set the issue aside and closed the cabinet. She grabbed the two papers and moved up the aisles until she found the year 1972. From there she went straight to December, thumbing quicker than before, knowing where to look this time. She found it quicker than before, buried in the back of the December 24th issue.

_**Train Crash Reveals Fate of Missing Witch** _

_Early yesterday morning officials began receiving reports that a passenger train had derailed near Hatfield, just 30 miles outside of London. While the passenger train was operated entirely by muggles, the reports mentioned the use of unauthorized magic in the presence of muggles at the scene. Upon investigation it was discovered that one of the passengers on the train was in fact a missing witch by the name of Alexandra Fuhrmann. Authorities haven't determined the cause of the crash yet, but they are almost certain that the residual magic at the scene was a last ditch attempt by Miss Fuhrmann to save the train and its passengers. There has been some speculation that the magic could have been the cause of the crash, but the timing indicates that the magic was cast after the leading car had already been derailed._

_Fuhrmann, who hadn't been seen or heard from since going missing the previous April, was believed to be leaving the country as her luggage included a large sum of money and more than one fake passport. Authorities have no comment as to why a witch would be using such means to flee the country, and ask that anyone with any information regarding Miss Fuhrmann come forward immediately._

By now she wasn't surprised to find a third individual who had gone missing only to turn up dead less than a year later. She immediately jumped back to the prophet issues from the previous April and found yet another eerily similar missing person report for Alexandra. No witnesses, no information, nothing beyond a photograph of the smiling young woman who had no idea of what would happen to her.

Michael, Alexandra, and Katherine had all just disappeared one day without a trace. Three missing wizards, three very brief, very similar missing persons report, three people that no one ever saw or heard from again. Until Michael and Alexandra turned up dead, which certainly didn't bode well for Katherine. Perhaps the Minister hadn't been so far off with his theory about her fate. And what did that mean for Black? Would he go missing at some point too, or had he somehow avoided that particular similarity?

"I thought you were going to lie down?"


	13. How Did We End Up Here

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

Chapter 13: How Did We End Up Here

"Williams, I thought you were going to lie down?"

She turned to see Malfoy standing at the end of the aisle she was sitting at the center of.

"I was," she said, looking back to the article she was still holding, "but the fresh air helped and by the time I got back here I found a second wind. Figured it was too early for bed just yet."

His footsteps were unusually loud in the deep stacks of the library. "A second wind on the first afternoon of our holiday break and you decide to get a start on homework? You do know that you have two weeks to get that finished?"

She laid the four articles out in a line and scanned over the similarities once more. "I am perfectly aware of and able to track the timeline for my assignments myself, thank you."

"So you're here because you fancy spending every waking moment surrounded by dusty old newspapers? Charming." He stopped just beside her, inspecting the contents of the nearest shelf before peering down at her collage of prophets. "What are you doing back here? These prophets are ancient," he said, wrinkling his nose as if they were rotten.

"Just a bit of research," she shuffled the papers slightly, making a mental note of the time between the disappearances and deaths.

"Anything I can help with?" he asked, stooping to get a closer look at her research.

"Doubtful," she said absently. "Although…" A thought did occur to her, a question rather, and he would likely know the answer. She just wasn't entirely sure she wanted to share her little side project with him, or anyone really.

"You could have at least pretended to think about it, even for a second," he said, doing his best to sound hurt.

"That's not nearly as much fun though." She gathered up the four issues she'd collected and asked, "Do you happen to know the date of Black's mass murder?"

"Not two seconds ago you deemed me useless," he said.

"Two seconds ago I thought you were," she tucked a loose bit of hair behind her ear and met his gaze, "prove me wrong."

He shook his head slightly but conceded, "November 1st 1981."

She immediately rose to her feet, the prophets that she'd collected thus far tucked under one arm and her bag slung over her opposite shoulder. The next aisle over started with 1975.

Malfoy followed her around the end of the shelving unit. "What's all this about," he gestured vaguely around at the archives, "did Professor Binns assign your class an extra essay?"

She shook her head, her eyes scanning the shelving labels. "You already know."

1977.

She lifted her free hand and ran her finger along the date placards.

1978.

"I do?"

She nodded.

1979.

"I don't remember you telling me."

"I didn't."

1980.

"Wait, so-"

"I just fancy spending every waking moment surrounded by dusty old newspapers. A fact I believe you said was charming," she said, making a point that she hadn't missed his earlier comment.

1981\. She dropped her bag and set the papers she'd already collected on top of it.

"Curiosity mostly," she answered.

Leaning closer she traced along the smaller sections that segmented the months.

August…

September…

October…

November. She reached for the very first issue after the November marker but at the last second pulled the next issue instead, immediately dropping to the floor again. Sure enough, the cover story about Black's mass murder encompassed the entire front page.

"Curiosity? That's what sent you back to digging up prophet issues from the 1930s?" he asked.

"Mmhmm, it's a good thing I'm not a cat," she said absently as she scanned the cover story.

"Because you wouldn't be able to read?"

"Because curiosity kills cats," she corrected

"Naturally."

"Someone told me to look a few things up," she offered.

"Someone? Someone who?" she missed the suspicion in his tone, the slight edge to his voice.

"I'm not entirely certain, but some man approached me in Hogsmeade…" she answered distractedly as she flipped to page 7 where all of Black's victims were listed.

Most of the names had photos to go along. The photos were clearly from before that day as they were all smiling happily toward the camera and they were all very much alive. She scanned through each name and face, there were enough that they spilled over onto a second page.

When she flipped to the next page to continue the list she stopped dead. "No…" she whispered involuntarily.

"What is it?" Malfoy asked.

"This woman," she said, looking hard at the photo of the smiling young woman that she knew she'd seen before.

"This woman is…?" he peered over her shoulder to inspect the photo that had caught her attention, "dead by the looks of it. You realize you're a terrible conversationalist, I'm doing all the work with none of the information," he said.

"I recognize her, I've seen her before," she breathed.

There were differences but they were slight; her hair color and style had changed, the hollows of her cheeks were more pronounced, and her features had an overall weight to them that hadn't been there before.

"Doubtful, unless Trelawney has started teaching us how to communicate beyond the grave," he said.

She hardly heard him, the photograph holding her full attention. The caption labelled the woman as an unidentified muggle whose next of kin couldn't be located. No one had come forward to identify her. Witnesses confirmed that Jane Doe had had a child with her who was assumed to have died in the explosion, but Ministry Officials could find no conclusive evidence. Muggle authorities asked anyone with information about her identity to come forward immediately so that next of kin could be located and notified.

Kaelix flipped back through the paper to the second page and found the familiar missing person report. She folded and adjusted the paper so that the two pictures were side by side.

"Those could be the same person," Malfoy said, looking over her shoulder again.

"Not could be," she said with a small shake of her head, "the  _are_. They listed her as an unidentified muggle, a Jane Doe. They would've been able to identify her if they'd just checked a few pages back in their own paper."

Malfoy knelt down next to her for a closer look, "You're joking right? You must know who that is."

She turned a furrowed brow toward him, "Why  _must_  I?"

He leaned back, his elbows resting on his knees, a bit of surprise crossing his features. "You're serious?"

"As a heart attack," she said, "these two paragraphs are everything I know about her." She shook the paper for emphasis.

"Williams, she looks just like you."

She narrowed her gaze at him. "What are you on about?" she asked before turning back to the photos, "we don't look alike at all."

He very nearly snorted, earning him a sharp side eye from Kaelix.

"You couldn't pass as twins but if you told me that was your mother or your sister," he looked between her and the photos once more, "I wouldn't question it for a second. Are you sure you don't know who she is?"

Realization washed over her like a cool breeze as part of a past conversation echoed through her mind.

" _I can tell by your expression, it's like you recognize me but at the same time you don't. Who is it you think I look like?"_  she'd asked him.

" _I'm not sure actually, I've been trying to figure that out myself since we met. When I saw you that first time on the train I felt like I'd seen you before, met you even."_  He'd said somewhat at a loss.

He'd known Katherine Holstein. He'd recognized their likeness even if he hadn't realized it yet.

"Williams?" Malfoy's voice broke through her thoughts.

"What?" she blinked at him.

"You were doing that thing again," he said with a slight smirk.

"What  _thing_?" she asked, frowning.

"That thing where you go off somewhere else entirely. Your eyes get this glassy look to them and you stare off at nothing," he said.

"That's calling thinking, Malfoy, I'm not surprised you're not familiar with it. No first hand experience." She refolded the prophet issue, hiding the image that could pass for her doppleganger.

"I'm not familiar with  _slow_  thinking, Williams. But don't worry, you'll get better with practice," he said.

"Only you would mistake deep thinking as being slow," she said, shaking her head.

"So is that deep thinking what started this whole collecting random prophet articles thing?" he asked.

"No, the thinking comes after the research, honestly, how have you managed to make it to third year?" She grabbed the other papers off her bag and shuffled them into chronological order with the newest one.

"I actually came to my first and second years, unlike some other people who just cut in without doing the work." He adjusted his squat.

"Which actually means I'm better than the rest of you since I'm keeping up just fine without the same two years of practice. Why don't you just sit down?" she asked.

"Do you have any idea what's on this floor?" he said with a look of disgust.

She looked at the stone floor in front of her as if to see whatever grotesque thing he was imagining. She shrugged, "Seems clean enough."

He snorted, "Remind me never to shake your hand."

She made a face at him in return.

"You never actually said what started this collection," he gestured to the prophets she held.

She contemplated briefly whether or not she wanted to tell him what started all this, whether or not she  _should_  tell him. The Inn Man seemed to think there was something more going on, and when something more was going on it was usually dangerous.

"The old man at the wand shop told me about them," she said, "and like I said earlier, I was curious."

"Ollivander? I thought you said you didn't know who told you to look them up?" he asked.

"Ollivander, that's his name. I'm never going to remember that…" She scooted over to put a bit of space between them and then began unfolding and arranging the prophet articles on the floor. "He was the first one to mention them to me and then this random person in Hogsmeade asked me about the same people, told me to look them up if I was the curious type."

"So two different people told you to look these people up? One of them being a complete stranger?"

"No, well- yes. Sort of," she waffled.

"And at any point did it occur to you that this might not be a good idea?"

She thought for a second before shaking her head, "No."

He opened his mouth but no words came.

"Ollivander sold related wands to each of them," she gestured to the papers, "and he didn't know anything beyond that. But the man I talked to in Hogsmeade-"

"The one you don't know?"

"-correct, he gave me dates. Well initially he gave me nothing but vague hints, but the second time I talked to him-"

"You've talked to him twice?"

"-yes, good job keeping up, the second time he gave me dates, well technically he gave me broad windows of time which I made him narrow down to less broad and more manageable windows of time. So I came here and started digging. He knows more than he's telling me but for some reason I have to prove I'm interested." She waved her hands for mock emphasis.

"He didn't tell you his name? In either of your conversations?" Malfoy asked.

She shook her head, "Said he wanted me to trust him first. Though if you ask me, an introduction would go a long way-"

"What did he look like?" Malfoy asked before she could finish.

"Well he'd be about this tall," she indicated a good foot above her head, "if I was standing up of course. He seemed a bit full of himself, like he made it seem like he had all the answers but I'm not convinced yet." She swiped a bit of loose hair out of her face and pulled her dark curtian of hair over her shoulder to keep it out of the way. "Oh he had light brown hair, maybe even blonde... I think, with green eyes. No, blue- no… green-ish? They weren't brown, I'm sure of that. Maybe hazel though."

"Got a real good look at him did you?"

She huffed. "So I'm not good with faces. What are the chances that you'd know this guy anyway?"

He shrugged. "You never know."

She drummed her fingers on her knee. "Maybe I should ask Potter if he knows him. His nosey tendencies might finally have some worth."

"Whoever he is, why would he tell you to about three random people?" he asked, verbally side stepping her comment about enlisting Potter's assistance.

"They're not entirely random, they're all connected to each other. Their wands were related and they all disappeared and then turned up dead. Look-" she gestured to the layout she'd created between them, "-at the similarities."

"Couldn't it just be a coincidence? These happened-" he leaned a bit closer to read the dates before continuing, "-years apart by the look of it."

She pointed to the first prophet issue, "Michael goes missing, then months later," her other hand on the second article, "turns up dead after allegedly attacking an entire town, killing himself in the explosion." She crossed her right hand to the next issue, "Then, years later, Alexandra goes missing. And again, months after that," her left hand slipped over to the next article, "she dies in a train 'accident'," she lifted both hands and made lazy air quotes with her fingers. "And finally," she pushed the most recent issue, with both the missing person article and the death announcement toward him, "Katherine goes missing, she's missing the longest at two years but still she inevitably turns up dead. An innocent casualty of Black's."

He stood from his crouched position with a scowl. "I think you're reading too much into this. You should just let it go."

She snorted, "Even you're not thick enough to miss the connection here."

She looked up and found a lazy, uncaring expression. "It's just a coincidence, Williams, just a plain, boring coincidence."

"You don't honestly believe that," she said with a small shake of her head. Glancing down at the newspapers, "Not with all this-"

"You discovered all of this on the whim an eccentric old man and some stranger in Hogsmeade who won't even tell you his name," he said, his voice tight. "For all you know you're just indulging an ill man's made up conspiracy. I think you'd best just stay away from him and forget about these people and their matching wands."

Something was off in his tone but Kaelix couldn't tell exactly what. Despite her teasing, he was smart enough to know better; these parallels weren't just coincidence. She hadn't even mentioned her own wand, or Black's, maybe that would sway him.

She swallowed, opening her mouth to reveal those last two pieces of her incomplete puzzle but before she could form a word he spoke again.

"I'm going down to dinner, are you coming?" His words were sharp and his posture stiffer than usual, his personality restrained, but he waited for her response.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Yeah, just let me put all these back."

He nodded. "I'll be up front," he said before turning and walking to the main aisle.

Kaelix watched with a bemused expression as he disappeared around the corner, his footsteps fading quickly from the rug that lined the main aisle. She tucked another loose strand of hair away and scratched her cheek. Her gaze sweeping over the articles in front of her from beneath a furrowed brow. She collected up each issue and folded them neatly into a little stack. Malfoy's sudden behavior shift and insistence that she drop the matter altogether was equal parts irritating and perplexing. What possible reason could he have to tell her to drop it? Because she knew he didn't really believe that this was all a coincidence, so why insist that he did?

She grabbed the five prophet issues and moved back up the aisle a few paces, scanning the labels until she found the one she was looking for. She was about to push all five issues onto the shelf between the 8th and 9th issues of July 1980, but she hesitated.  _Too obvious_ , she thought. If anyone else came looking for these particular articles then they may very well think to check there. But she knew where they wouldn't look, where the articles would be safe until she came looking for them again. A few more steps down the aisle, between August 25th and 26th she slid the issues onto the shelf. Pulled from five different years, hidden in 1979, where no one would come looking for them, but a date she would never forget.

She ran her finger over the slim paper spines hidden in plain sight, not looking at all out of place, contemplating the thought that just occurred to her. She decided in a split second, pulling one issue back off the shelf. She retrieved her bag, tucking the folded prophet away within, and went to catch up with Malfoy for dinner.

* * *

The castle had been decorated significantly for the holidays despite being nearly empty. Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung throughout the corridors, each suit of armor was mysteriously lit from within, and the Great Hall had been filled with twelve Christmas trees. Kaelix had asked Professor Flitwick if it was in reference to the twelve days of Christmas but was only met with a confused expression. Each tree was glittering with gold and silver stars, as well as twinkling strings of blinking lights.

Over the next few days Kaelix spent most of her time either in her room or with Malfoy. Potter and his two friends were her only housemates to remain at the castle and one of the great benefits of spending time with Malfoy was that the trio avoided him at all costs and consequently avoided her as well. In fact if it hadn't been for Malfoy's company she would have been very near bored without classes to attend. Even her lessons with Professor Lupin had been reduced to a bare minimum over the break. Though she did have one scheduled for that evening and was desperately looking forward to it.

She descended the stairs to the Gryffindor common room quietly, hoping Potter and his two cohorts weren't occupying the space and she could leave without being cornered and interrogated. She peaked around the corner at the bottom of the stairs to scan the room. Light danced about from the flickering of the roaring fire and something twitched on one of the chairs. Hermione's cat was occupying the chair closest to the boys' staircase and staring intently at them. No sign of anyone else.

She let out a small sigh of relief, glad to avoid a delay in meeting Professor Lupin. She did wonder for a brief moment where the three of them were but decided not to tempt fate by dwelling on the possibilities for too long. As she made her way across the common room, she glanced over at Hermione's cat and almost stopped in her tracks. The feline was staring at her now, watching her approach the portrait hole with an almost human-like intelligence reflected in his eyes. His tale twitched, casting a much larger shadow across the floor from the firelight. A shiver went down Kaelix's spine and she took quick steps to the portrait hole. A final glance before slipping through revealed the cat had returned his gaze to the base of the boys' staircase, like he was waiting for someone to emerge.

Beyond the portrait hole the open castle corridor was chilly, a very physical reminder that it was already late in the evening and well into winter. Kaelix pulled her robes tighter around her, wondering if she should duck back inside her dorm for a thicker sweater.

"Halt, lass-" a groggy voice called out before breaking into a yawn, evidently she'd woken Sir Cadogan up from his evening nap. "Just where do you think you're going at this late an hour? It's past curfew and I'll not have you sneaking out on my watch-" he yawned the last word again.

Kaelix crossed her arms and fought the urge to roll her eyes, "And how exactly do you plan to stop me when you can't leave that painting?"

"Do you dare challenge Sir Cadogan? I'll summon the cavalry, the royal guard, we'll track you down and, and-" he huffed.

"And what? You're a painting, and besides I have permission to break curfew for my lesson." She turned to go but stopped when he spoke again.

"You listen here lassie, if you do not heed my warning and continue on this perilous path I'll inform the Deputy Headmistress, you'll not get away with this," he called after her.

"I'm not trying to get away with anything. I told you, I have permission, I'm meeting Professor Lupin for a lesson. The Deputy Headmistress already knows," she explained.

"A likely story," he said waving what appeared to be a jousting lance at her, "do you think me a fool, child?"

This time she didn't resist the urge to roll her eyes, "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"It's not too late!" he exclaimed.

Kaelix turned to go, shaking her head the whole way down the corridor.

"You can still turn back," he called after her, "you can still save yourself from the inevitable punishment that this trespass will bring down upon you! You cannot.."

She rounded the corner and he was out of earshot.

"Kaelix, you were supposed to wait for me, it's after curfew," Professor Lupin said, approaching from the opposite end of the corridor.

"I know, I was going to wait just outside the portrait hole and then Sir Cadogan…" she trailed off.

Professor Lupin gave a small, tired laugh, needing no further explanation. "I have heard he's quite the character. Let's be on our way then." He turned to head back the direction he'd come from.

"I never thought that I would miss the Fat Lady and her attempts at opera singing," she said, falling into step beside him. "Hopefully he doesn't decide to change the password before I get back to teach me a lesson," she muttered.

Lupin arched an eyebrow, "Does he change it that often?"

"Pretty often, yeah," she said as they began climbing the staircase to the Astronomy Corridor. "And without warning, most times the prefects don't even know it's been changed until someone is asking them what the new one it. Poor Neville's had to write them down to keep track. Crazy knight thinks he's our sole defense against Black."

"Yes, well, the more barriers between you and Black the better, even if one of them is a crazy knight," he said, opening the door to the vacant Astronomy Corridor.

"You really think Black is dangerous?" she asked, following him down the corridor to another staircase.

He glanced sideways at her, "He killed thirteen innocent people, Kaelix, I  _know_  he is."

That was pretty damning evidence.

"But do you really think he'd come after students? I mean, he had me all alone and he just ran away." She shoved her hands into her robe pockets to warm her already cold fingers.

Lupin shook his head, starting up the stairs. "I can't imagine what was going through his mind. I'm just glad he didn't have a wand, otherwise you might not have been so lucky."

"He could have just taken mine," she said, trailing behind him. "It's not like I know how to use it well enough to hold him off."

"He didn't know that, and he didn't want to risk getting caught," said Lupin.

"You mean before he found Potter?"

Lupin didn't just glance at her this time, he stopped mid step and turned back to look straight at her, "How do you know he's after Harry?"

His abrupt stop nearly set her off balance but she recovered and shrugged. "Rumors."

His gaze narrowed slightly.

"And I may have overheard a few of the other professors discussing it last weekend in the Three Broomsticks," she conceded. "That's why he was trying to get into Gryffindor Tower isn't it? He knows that's Potter's house."

He scrutinized her for a moment more before continuing on up the stairs. "That's the theory."

"You don't sound convinced?" she said, continuing up after him.

"No one knows what Black's thinking. It's quite possible the dementors drove him mad in Azkaban, which could explain why he didn't attack you and it's also why you were supposed to wait for me to meet you at Gryffindor Tower," he said pointedly as he pushed open the door at the top of the staircase.

A wave of cool air washed over them.

"Jeez, is there no heat up here?" she said.

Pulling her far too thin cloak tighter and crossing her arms to stave off the chill, she was really regretting her decision not to go back for another sweater.

"You might have warned me about the temperature?" she hissed through already chattering teeth.

He stifled a laugh, "I did tell you we would be outside, I figured the temperature was a given this time of year. Here," he opened a nearby cupboard and passed her an extra thick robe before adding with a bit of a grin, "it's going to be even colder in the observatory."

"You don't have to be so smug." She took the cloak and threw it over her shoulders, immediately warmer and immediately grateful.

They ascended the final few stairs and passed through the doorway into the open night air. It was indeed colder in the observatory. The frigid breeze biting, but intermittent.

"I rather like the fresh air, but I could cast a barrier to keep the wind off if it's too much," he offered.

Kaelix took a deep breath of the fresh air and agreed with him. "Leave it for now," she requested.

She looked up and realized for the first time that this was the tallest tower in the entire castle. The view of the night sky was entirely unobstructed; no towers, no clouds, only stars blinking back out of the vast darkness. She looked up and up and remembered long hours spent counting stars on clear nights like this one. Her eyes settled on the moon.

"It's almost full," she said more to herself.

"Indeed," he nodded solemnly, sitting in a chair nearby.

"Speaking of full moons," she rifled through her bag and retrieved the small parcel wrapped in plain brown paper from one of the pockets. "I got you something."

"What's this?" he asked as she passed it to him, "a Christmas present?"

She shook her head, "Nothing like that. I remembered you saying that chocolate helps you feel better after dealing with dementors and I thought it might have a similar effect after a full moon. Which now sounds really lame, I'm sorry." A bit of heat rising in her cheeks despite the cold air.

His smile faltered, he stared at the parcel in his hand and for a moment he was gone. She didn't speak, half embarrassed and half afraid she'd somehow upset him.

His easy smile returned a moment later and when he spoke his voice was normal, "Thank you, that was very thoughtful."

"You're sure it's okay?" she couldn't help asking.

He looked about to shake his head and dismiss her question but changed his mind. "I had a friend in school who figured it out, and she would smuggle cookies from the kitchen into the Hospital Wing for me. Insisted it helped me feel better."

Kaelix wondered if this was one of the friends he'd mentioned during their first lesson, one of the friends who'd let him down.

"Shall we get started then?" he interrupted her musings. "You brought the charts I gave you before?"

She nodded and retrieved them from her bag.

"Since you've already read up on all of the stars and planets, why don't you see how many you can fill out on your chart while we try not to freeze to death. I might end up casting that barrier charm if this breeze picks up anymore," he smiled.

"Speak for yourself," she tried to scoff but the wind whipped around them just then, it's penetrating cold sending a shiver through Kaelix that sent her teeth chattering and betrayed her attempted nonchalance.

She pretended not to notice his laugh as she, somewhat indignantly, dropped onto the provided stool and began filling in her star chart. She located several of the stars and planets with the telescope as she went, the scratch of her quill across the parchment was the only sound other than the distant howl of the winds. Professor Lupin periodically checked her progress, but mostly left her to work. It hadn't even taken an hour for him to cave in and set a barrier around them to break the wind, which made the air a bit stale but much more bearable. Despite being thankful for the barrier, Kaelix sent a few snide comments his way when he'd caved.

After another hour or so, a chilling cold sliced through the air. Kaelix shivered.

"I think your barrier's leaking," she said without looking up.

A moment passed and Professor Lupin didn't reply.

"What's the matter, no smart remark-" she glanced up and saw his eyes were closed and his head slumped forward. "Oh, you did not fall asleep on me, Professor." He didn't stir. "Professor?" she called louder. He still didn't move. She looked to her bag, mentally rifling through it for something to throw at him.

Before she could find a suitable object, his eyes blinked open and focused on her in the dim moonlight, "I was just resting my eyes."

"Right… And I suppose you decided to let the barrier down on purpose too?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "I could have sat in on an astronomy class last term, you know. If this is too far past your bedtime."

He attempted to stifle a yawn but failed, "As I recall, I asked if you wanted to sit in on a class and I think you cursed at me."

She feigned offence. "I think I politely declined, actually," she said with a smirk.

"If that was you being polite our time would be better spent on etiquette lessons than astronomy," he gave a small laugh. "How's that coming?" he nodded toward her chart.

"I've just finished," she set down her quill and passed the chart over for him to examine.

He cast lumos for a bit more light and studied her neat labels. When he was satisfied that everything was in order he handed it back to her. "Very good, I think that wraps up astronomy."

"Cool, so what's next then?" She tucked the completed chart back into her bag along with her writing supplies.

"Nothing, we've covered the entire first year curriculum now. We'll be moving on to second year material next lesson. Which might not be until after classes begin again," he said with a sigh.

"I don't have to take any sort of final exam or anything? And why do we have to wait until classes start again?" she asked, repositioning the telescope once more.

"Actually, from what I understand all of the final exams were cancelled two years ago when you would have been a first year. So, the way I see it, you were never supposed to take any exams over this material in the first place," he said with a bit of a grin. "Although, we do still need to get out and give you a flying lesson."

"No we don't," she said a little too quickly into the telescope lense.

"Pardon?"

She pulled away from the telescope and shrugged, giving her best attempt at indifference, "We don't really have to do a flying lesson, it's not like I'm dying to join the quidditch team or anything."

"Well, you may not be the next world class chaser," he teased, "but it is a requirement that all first years learn the basics of flying."

"Technically speaking, I'm not a first year." She stooped to retrieve her bag, avoiding eye contact.

He eyed her suspiciously, "You aren't afraid of flying are you?"

She hoisted her bag over her shoulder and then drew her arms across her chest and huffed, "No, I'm not afraid. I just don't want to."

"There was a time when you didn't want to do any of these lessons and now look where we are, you don't even want to take a break for the holiday." He had a sly, satisfied smile while he spoke.

Her eyes nearly rolled at his comment. "That's hardly the same."

Professor Lupin scrutinized her for a moment. "Do you have any questions or should we call it a night?" he asked, deciding to drop the subject of flying for now.

She sucked in a breath and glanced down at her bag, knowing what was within. Her hands clenched and unclenched, fidgeting where they remained crossed as she internally warred with herself.  _Just tell him_ , she thought,  _just do it, it won't be bad, he likely already assumes so this would just confirm it anyway,_  she reasoned with herself. But he'd reacted so strangely when she'd brought Katherine up the first time, she just wasn't sure how he'd take this.

She uncrossed her arms and grabbed the strap of her bag. "You remember when I asked about those people last week?"

The shift in his posture was damn near undetectable, but his slight seating adjustment didn't quite hide the sudden tension that appeared in his shoulders. He nodded and waited for her continue.

"I was looking through some of the old Daily Prophets in the library the other day," she clenched her fingers to stop the fidgeting, this was the easy part, "and I found out what happened to Michael O'Conner and Alexandra Fuhrmann."

"Did you?" he said, resting his chin against his hand.

"They both went missing. Each of them, just up and disappeared one day. No one saw anything, no one heard anything, they were just gone. Sound familiar?" she asked.

He ran his hand over the stubble that had accrued on his jaw. "A lot of people disappear without a trace, Kaelix," he said evenly.

She nodded, "I know. But how many of them turn up dead months later under what could be considered mysterious circumstances?"

He sighed, "Probably more of them than not. Disappearing without a trace isn't exactly good odds for a long life. I'm sure it's just coincidence."

She loosed an irritated sigh, "They were both made to look like accidents, is that a coincidence too?"

He leaned forward a bit, "What do you mean made to look like accidents?"

"The prophet articles I found," she said, the skepticism in his voice making her wish she'd brought them all with her, "they're all almost intentionally vague. Saying ' _authorities are looking into this… authorities couldn't determine that…'_ it just seems too similar, and too vague."

He considered her for a moment before answering and she wasn't sure whether it was because he was weighing her words or trying to figure out the easiest way to dismiss her theory.

"You're talking about two, unrelated people, that went missing years apart, being part of what, some kind of cover up? Some kind of conspiracy? To what end?" he asked. "And all because the Daily Prophet didn't give detailed biographies when the disappeared?"

She shifted on her feet, adjusted her bag strap. "You don't think it's even a bit curious?"

"I think it's curious that you're so curious about it."

She huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Hey," he said sharply. She levelled her gaze with his. "Even if it was curious, two occurrences doesn't exactly spell out conspiracy,"

She hesitated, moving her lips back and forth to hide their nervous twitching. "Katherine makes three," she said quietly.

He didn't move. He didn't say anything. They sat in silence long enough that she began to doubt whether or not he'd even heard her. His silence unnerved her. She wavered. Malfoy had thought it was all a coincidence, and now Lupin did too. Maybe all of this had been better kept to herself.

 _Too late now,_  she thought,  _cat's already out of the bag._  Though judging by his reaction so far, it wouldn't likely be that hard to get him to forget all about it. She could back pedal if that's what she wanted.  _If_  that was what she wanted.

She rifled through her bag for the neatly folded Daily Prophet she'd taken from the library, suddenly irritated by just how much stuff was in her bag. Did she really even need all of it, did she use it all? The paper felt heavier as she passed it to Professor Lupin, as if weighed down by the news it carried. His eyes scanned the cover but he didn't dwell on the article about Black.

His gaze slid from the paper to her, his voice even as he spoke, "Why did you bring this?"

She licked her lips, "Page 8. The paper lists her as an unidentified muggle, but…" she couldn't finish.

He eyed her a moment more before he smoothed the main crease of the paper and thumbed through the pages. When he saw her picture he stopped just as Kaelix had. His mouth closed and he swallowed hard, his eyes scanning the caption. A moment passed and he didn't move, didn't seem to even breathe.

The silence stretched between them like a gaping chasm she couldn't cross. Her anxiety at whether or not she'd made the right decision in bringing this to him rose with each passing second. Until she broke.

"Professor?"

No response. He didn't speak, didn't move.

"Professor?" she tried again.

He didn't even blink.

" _Remus,_ " she said a bit louder, finally crossing the chasm.

He snapped away from the picture. "I'm sorry I just…" He was clearly struggling with the news of Katherine's death but his expression was hard to read. He looked back at the picture and continued, "After being missing for fourteen years I knew it was likely that she'd died, but I think part of me still hoped she hadn't."

Her chest tightened. "I'm sorry if this was more hurtful than helpful. I just thought you'd want to know."

He nodded, finally blinking a few times. "Thank you, Kaelix. I do appreciate it."

She loosed a breath she hadn't meant to hold. "Is that why you thought you recognized me?" she asked, before she could talk herself out of it. "Because I look like her?"

His eyes swept over her features as if looking at her for the first time again. He glanced back at the photo again, "It's been a long time since I've seen her face outside the cobwebs of my memory. Probably why I couldn't piece it together before."

"Were you two close?" she ventured.

"We were good friends at school for a time, but we drifted apart later on. I hardly saw her after we graduated," he said.

His gaze lingered on her picture for a few moments more before he folded the paper up and handed it back to Kaelix.

She took the prophet and tucked it away in her bag. "Is she the one who smuggled you cookies?"

An easy smile overtook his lips and he said softly, "She was." He paused, then shook whatever memory had popped up away. "Why are you so interested in what happened to these three?"

She bit her lip, "I guess, I just- All three of them disappeared. All three of them died. The only connection between them is their wands. Which also connects them to me."

Realization dawned on his face. "Kaelix, I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about. I'm certain that these were all just as they appear, accidents."

She bit her bottom lip in nervousness, "How can you be certain?"

"There was nothing planned about Black's attack that day, her death was not a set up. It was an unlucky tragedy. As I'm sure were both the others," he said, his voice only wavering slightly as he avoided saying Katherine's name. "You have nothing to worry about beyond the flying lesson I haven't forgotten about."

She gave a slight laugh, "You really believe that?"

"I really do," he assured her.

She forced a smile and nodded.

He rose from his seat and stretched a bit, "I knew I would regret sitting there for so long without moving."

"You sound really old when you say things like that, you know," she teased, knowing his soreness had more to do with the impending full moon than his age.

"I'm going to remember that comment when I'm grading you next essay," he said.

She laughed, "Assuming your memory doesn't start to go too."

* * *

The next morning was Christmas. It felt just like any other day. Kaelix heard Hermione get up to leave. Moments later shouting drifted up the stairs, too muffled to be distinguishable. Hermione came back to their room in a huff. She shuffled about for a few minutes, muttering something about Weasley and his stupid rat, before exiting again. Any thought Kaelix had entertained about descending to the common room to join them was extinguished with the sharp sound of the door snapping closed. The trio was annoying enough when they were getting along with each other but sour their moods with a row and they'd be unbearable.

She opted instead to spend the morning in bed with her sketchbook. With classes, homework, and extra lessons she hadn't had much time for doodling during the term. She'd missed it. The way the pencil slid across the texture of the paper felt mildly foreign after so many assignments scrawled out across parchment with a quill. She instinctively felt compelled to 're-ink' her pencil after every few minutes, the muscle memory having formed in just a few short months. It didn't take long though, to loosen up her wrist and readjust to the muggle lead.

After a few hours laying down sketches, the rumbling in her stomach finally grew loud enough to distract Kaelix from the creature she'd been trying to recreate from memory. It must have been somewhere near lunchtime if the intensity of her growling stomach was any indication. She relented, gathered herself, and headed down to the Great Hall. All of the House tables had been moved to the side, and a single table set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, the caretaker. There were only six students including herself, Malfoy who sat next to Professor Snape, Potter and his friends who were just taking their seats as far from Malfoy as possible, and an extremely nervous looking first year who sat next to the Headmaster.

She caught Malfoy's eye and smiled as she took the seat beside him.

"Merry Christmas!" said Dumbledore. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables… Crackers!" he said enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witch's hat topped with a stuffed vulture.

Kaelix fought back a snort as she was reminded of the boggart from the beginning of the term. Malfoy eyed her with amusement, nearly smirking himself. Snape's mouth thinned and he pushed the hat toward Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard's hat at once.

"Dig in!" he advised the table.

"This is cozy," Kaelix said quietly, helping herself to roast turkey.

"I should have opted for the big empty house," said Malfoy, serving himself as well.

"Nice to know you'd leave me alone to suffer," she muttered.

The doors of the Great Hall opened once more and Professor Trelawney glided toward them. She had donned a green sequined dress for the occasion, making her look a bit like an oversized dragonfly, especially paired with her large spectacles.

"Sibyll, this is a pleasant surprise!" said Dumbledore, standing up to usher her over.

"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster, and I saw myself coming to join you, much to my own astonishment. But who am I to refuse the promptings of fate?" Kaelix sniggered at the absurdity of her statement but no one seemed to notice. "Please do forgive my lateness…"

"Certainly, certainly," said Dumbledore, "Let me draw you up a chair-"

And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which floated for a few seconds before falling into place between Professors Snape and McGonagall. Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down; her magnified eyes roamed the table, and she suddenly uttered a sort of soft scream.

"Oh, what now?" Kaelix mumbled.

Malfoy smirked.

"I dare not. Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! When thirteen dine together, the first to rise shall be the first to die!" she said all this very dramatically with facial expressions to match.

"We'll risk it, Sibyll," said Professor McGonagall impatiently. "Do sit down the turkey's getting cold."

Still Professor Trelawney hesitated.

"I'm sure if there were any real danger your inner eye wouldn't have told you to come down," Kaelix said innocently. "You said yourself, who are you to refuse the prompting of fate?"

Professor Trelawney turned her magnified gaze on Kaelix, her annoyance shown plainly on her face.

"There will be a time when your past will come for you, my dear, and I pray that despite your dismissal of the inner eye, you are prepared for it when it does," she said without her usual layer of mistiness.

She eyed the offered chair with trepidation while Kaelix attempted to hide her mirth, but resigned herself and sat down anyway. Her jaw was set as though expecting the blow to come strike one of them down immediately. Her gaze flitted around the table once more, ignoring an offer of tripe from Professor McGonagall.

"That was a little ominous," Malfoy said quietly.

Kaelix shrugged, "She predicted Potter's death on the first day of class and as far as I can tell he's still alive and well. But if he stands up first and is immediately struck down by a magical bolt of lightning? Then I might be worried. Maybe."

Malfoy scoffed at her logic.

"Where is dear Professor Lupin?" Professor Trelawney asked, the airyness she'd used during their first lesson returning to her voice.

"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," said Dumbledore. "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."

"Is he ever well?" Malfoy asked in a hushed tone.

Kaelix shot him a look but reeled in her sharp retort, not wanting to inadvertently reveal the true cause of his perpetual 'sickness'.

"But I'm sure you already knew that, Sibyll?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyebrows raised.

Kaelix suppressed a laugh, amused by the not so subtle way that McGonagall expressed her doubt about Trelawney's abilities. Professor Trelawney was not amused in the slightest and gave McGonagall a cold look.

"Certainly I knew, Minerva," she said quietly. "But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous."

Kaelix couldn't stop the reflexive snort at her comment.

"Is something amusing, my child?" Trelawney asked.

"You parade your Inner Eye around every class, even told Potter he was going to die," she gestured across the table at him, "so yeah I think it's amusing that you're bothering to pretend about it now."

Trelawney scowled at her, she could have sworn McGonagall stifled a laugh, and Malfoy looked around the table as if expecting one of the other professors to chastise her.

"If you must know, child, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long," she said tersely.

Her stomach turned. She took no stock in Professor Trelawney's predictions regarding her own well being, or Potter's, but Lupin's? That was a bit of a different story.

"He seems aware," Trelawney continued, "that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him-"

"Imagine that," said Professor McGonagall dryly.

"I doubt," said Dumbledore, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which silenced what was surely another retort on the tip of Trelawney's tongue, "that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger." His gaze connected with Kaelix's briefly, as if sensing her concern and impressing his words upon her, then he looked away. "Severus, you've made the potion for him again?"

"Yes, Headmaster," said Snape.

"Very good," said Dumbledore. "Then he will be up and about in no time. Derek, have you had any of these chipolatas? They're excellent."

The first year boy turned scarlet at being addressed directly by the Headmaster, and took the platter of sausages with trembling hands.

Kaelix gazed at the food remaining on her own plate and felt queasy. Surely Trelawney was just putting on a show, she reasoned with herself. Surely Lupin was in no real danger, was he? A glance around the table showed she was the only one still dwelling on it, the passive aggressive argument between Trelawney and McGonagall having been silenced by Dumbledore's comments. In fact Professor Trelawney remained mostly silent for the duration of their dinner. But her words still echoed through Kaelix's mind,  _Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long… He seems aware that his time is short._  She caught the Old Man's gaze again, he smiled warmly at her. For once nothing seemed hidden behind it, for once he seemed genuine, and somehow that eased her stomach.

After everyone had stuffed themselves to bursting with turkey, sausage, potatoes, and more, Potter and Weasley were the first to rise from the table and Trelawney let out a strangled sort of screech.

"My dears! Which one of you left his seat first? Which?" she demanded.

"Dunno," said Weasley, looking toward Potter, a bit uneasy.

"I doubt it will make much difference," said Professor McGonagall coldly, "unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the entrance hall."

Weasley laughed, all sign of unease gone.

"But just in case, you should let Potter go first," said Kaelix, holding back a smirk.

His laughter vanished and his usual scowl of disapproval reappeared. And he wasn't the only one, Professor Trelawney looked mortified by the comment. Malfoy, however, appeared to be holding back a fit of laughter and even the Old Man had a small twinkle in his eye. He looked about to open his mouth with a retort but Potter ushered him on before the words had fully formed. Potter threw one last disapproving look her way as they exited the hall.

Kaelix rose from the table and stretched a bit, more than one joint popping as she went.

"I was going to wander around the castle for a bit if you wanted to join me?" Malfoy said, standing beside her.

"Oh shoot," she said with a frown.

He raised an eyebrow at her in silent question.

"It's just that Potter already asked me to hang out with him back in the common room..." She twirled a lock of hair around her finger in contemplation.

"Sure, okay," he said curtly before stalking away with sharp footsteps.

"Malfoy," she said with the hint of a smile. But he didn't stop, "Malfoy, wait." She had to move quickly to catch up to him. She grabbed his elbow and spun him around to face her. His expression was sour. "I was only joking. I'd do almost anything else before I'd agree to hang out with that prat."

He glanced away with a scoff, "So I'm just above the almost last thing you'd ever do."

"Of course, if you were any higher on the list it would go straight to your head," she said and brushed past him toward the great oak doors that led to the entrance hall.

He didn't move immediately. "So Potter isn't expecting you then?"

"Are you coming or not?" she said over her shoulder.

An involuntary smirk tugged at his lips as he jogged to catch up to her.

* * *

"You're an idiot, a sodding fool."

"You're the one who won't admit you're wrong."

"Pineapple does  _not_  belong on pizza,  _no fruit_  belongs on pizza. Anyone in their right mind knows that," said Malfoy incredulously.

"Pineapple is the exception," she countered. "And tomatoes, but that's on a technicality."

He glanced sideways, giving her a once over as if he was seeing her for the first time. "The sorting hat should have put you in Hufflepuff for that alone."

"At least everyone in Hufflepuff would be enjoying delicious pineapple topped pizza, while you suffer alone in your tasteless wrongness," she waved her hands exasperatedly.

"I've known from the beginning that you have poor taste, I don't know why I'm surprised by this now," he said, sliding his hands into his pockets. "How did we even get here?"

"Haven't you been paying attention? We're walking," she imitated legs with her fingers. "I know it's a difficult concept so don't think about it too hard."

"I meant here as in arguing over pizza toppings. Weren't we just talking about Christmas traditions?"

"That was at least three staircases ago but yes."

He pulled a hand out of his pocket to scratch his cheek, then rub the back of his neck. "Which led us to pizza toppings how?"

"Let's see, from Christmas traditions we got on food- which way?" she asked as they stopped at an intersection of corridors.

Malfoy gestured to the right and they continued. "And that got us to pizza?"

She shook her head, "No, the food led to hot cocoa, which led to snowball fights, which led to Quidditch, which led back to school, which somehow led to ghosts, which dissolved into fairy tales."

His brow furrowed. "And fairy tales led to pizza how?

"Well, Fairy tales led to books," she paused, reaching back in her memory for the flow of the conversation, "which led to hobbies, which led back to Quidditch, courtesy of you, which led to the Quidditch Cup tournament, which led to celebratory feasts," she finished with a smile.

"Which led to pizza," Malfoy added.

"Exactly," she confirmed, "and your poor taste is how we ended up arguing over toppings."

He snorted as they turned a corner, "Says the person eating warm soggy fruit pizza."

"What has pineapple ever done to you to deserve this blind resentment?"

"If you must know I had a very bad encounter with pineapple when I was little, it scarred me for life. I've never recovered," he said dramatically.

It was Kaelix's turn to snort, "You're making that up."

"I am not," he said with mock offence.

"How exactly did a fruit manage to scar you for life? I'm going to need  _details_ ," she was holding back a smirk.

"Not with that grin you're holding back, you don't. All that matters is that it happened. And you mocking me for it just proves that you have no heart in there," he pointed to her chest.

She put two fingers to her neck, "My heartbeat suggests that you're wrong. Just easy to mock."

"What about you?" he segwayed. "Any tragic childhood stories that you're keeping bottled up?"

"Nope, I had a perfectly normal childhood," she said.

"Come on, Williams," he said slyly, "not even a magic outburst story? Everyone has one of those."

She shook her head, "I didn't know magic existed until the Old Man just showed up out of the blue."

"Really?" he looked genuinely perplexed. "No accidentally throwing something across the room, blowing something up, or setting something on fire?"

"What? Why would you ask that?" she said before she could think to keep the edge out of her voice.

"Oh, Williams, did you set something on fire?"

"No," she struggled to keep herself from snapping at him. It was just an innocent question. He didn't mean anything by it. Did he? Of course not, how could he.

"Wasn't your boggart something to do with fire? You're not holding out on me are you?"

That was one question too far, she stopped in her tracks. He took another step or two before realizing she'd stopped and the teasing expression fell from his face almost immediately.

She couldn't organize a coherent sentence in her mind, her mouth opened but closed again without making a sound.

"What?" he asked, concern lining his features.

"Why would you ask about that? You said before that you'd leave it," she tried to keep her voice as even as possible, his question may have been innocent.

He shrugged and casually said, "I was just curious. You don't have to tell me." He turned to look down the corridor ahead of them. "Do you even know where we are at this point?" he asked, moving the conversation along like it really had been just an innocent question.

She considered him before his question. Why the sudden interest? Why the direct question about fire? Or her boggart? She shook herself, she was reading too much into his questions. He'd just been making casual conversation.

She looked around and mentally righted herself, "Yes, actually, I do. We're not too far from Gryffindor Tower."

"Your common room is all the way up here? How do you survive being so far from the Great Hall?"

"Some of us think of things besides quidditch and our stomachs," she said, setting off down the corridor once more.

He fell into step with her. "What could possibly be more important than food?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the nine classes I'm taking and all the extra work I have to do to make up for the fact that I missed two years?"

"Is that all? Doesn't seem so bad, I could probably do it in my sleep," he said.

"More like sleep through half of it," she said with a smirk.

"Your lack of faith in me hurts," he said, adjusting the fold of his shirt sleeve.

"I didn't think anything could affect that big head of yours," she said, sweeping her hair over her shoulder.

"In here, Williams," he said, putting a hand over his heart, "in here."

She could help letting out a laugh.

"Hey, speaking of playing catch up, did you ever figure out why your letter came late?" he asked.

"Nope, and I think if the Old Man has it his way, I won't ever find out. He doesn't seem to eager to pass that knowledge on to me," she said, a bit more bitterly than she would have liked.

He ran his hand over his mouth in contemplation, then glanced sideways at her, "It was probably just a malfunction or something. magic goes wrong all the time, why not our letter delivery system?"

"Yeah. Probably just another coincidence," she mused.

"Is it hard, learning three years of magic at once?" he asked.

"Sometimes. But then I remember that if I'd started two years ago when I was supposed to, I would have had to put up with Potter for two more years and suddenly it doesn't seem so bad."

"But that means you also missed out on two more years of my wonderful company," he said grinning.

"You think pretty highly of yourself don't you?"

"I do strive to be the absolute best at whatever I do," he said with a grin.

She was shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "You're the absolute worst."

"That's still better than just mediocre worst." He stopped short, turning to look back the way they'd come. "Did you hear that?"

Kaelix stopped as well, following his gaze. "Hear what?"

"Shhh…" he took a few slow steps back down the corridor, listening hard.

Kaelix strained to hear anything other than her own breathing and the rustling of Malfoy's clothes. But there was only silence.

"Malfoy, there's nothing there," she said.

"Huh," he shook his head, walking back toward her he shrugged, "must have been my imagination."

"More like hallucination. What did you think you heard anyway?"

"Dunno, footsteps? Maybe Black wanted to pay you another visit?"

His suggestion sent her eyes rolling again and she turned to continue on down the corridor.

"Wait a second, what's through there?" he asked.

"What are you on about now?" she turned back, a follow up quip ready on her lips but once she saw what he was pointing at the quip veered into the question, "Where did that door come from?"

"Well at some point I'm sure it was a tree, but you never know, it could have been transfigured from something entirely different," he said with a smirk.

She gave him a side eye glare, "I've walked down this corridor countless times, I've never seen that door there before."

"That doesn't really say much for your observational skills, Williams," he said.

"Then it doesn't say much for yours either, you didn't see it walking up the corridor until just now and we're already past it," she said, approaching the door.

"Maybe I missed it once, but you've frequented this corridor for months."

She gave him a skeptical look.

"Well how else do you explain it then?" he said defensively.

"It always amazes me how often you all overlook the most obvious answer. Magic," she said the last word with her best impression of Trelawney's mysticism. "Maybe whatever you heard was the door triggering?"

She stepped right up to it, noting that there was nothing particularly eye catching about it. Other than it's mysterious appearance.

"What do you think?" she asked, "secret passage?"

Malfoy snorted from behind her, "A broom cupboard is more likely."

She scoffed, tracing the wood grain with her finger. "That would be a bit of a let down, wouldn't it."

"Are you going to open it or just keep petting it," he snarked.

The cold brass handle twisted freely in her grip.

"Williams," he said in warning.

"What? You were just telling me to do it. Honestly, where's your sense of adventure?" she teased, poised to swing the door open.

"You have no idea what's in there, there could be a troll for all you know," he said, stepping right beside her.

"Is a troll really the worst thing we could find in here? Besides," she said with a grin, "My pet could use a playmate."

He opened his mouth to protest further but she pushed the door open.

"Oops," she said, smiling innocently at him.

Despite her teasing she had actually expected something as mundane as a broom cupboard or a regular old classroom. Instead, what she saw was a room that seemed to extend on and on and on with no end in sight. Though she could hardly discern an end even if it had one, with the sheer volume of  _stuff_  that occupied it. She took a few hesitant steps into the room, her eyes sweeping over piles and piles of-

"It's all junk," she said, "this place is a dumping ground."

There were broken pieces of furniture littering the floor; trunks full of hats, cloaks, and any sort of clothing, some even filled with jewels; there were broken brooms stacked in dusty urns and chipped bottles of congealed potions atop cabinets; strewn between various trophies, cauldrons, and disassembled suits of armour, there were rusting swords, a bloodstained axe, and-

"Is that a-  _cannon?_ " she asked in disbelief.

Malfoy had followed her in. "A small one, yes."

"But  _why?_ " she asked.

"OWL transfiguration test?" he guessed.

She didn't linger too long before her attention was drawn away by a low flying catapult that hovered half heartedly over the mountains of other discarded items, moving farther into the room she skirted the edge of the closest mound; there were fragments that looked like broken dragon eggs, bowls and bottles of potions whose contents shimmered threateningly; there were cages of all shapes and sizes, one even looked like it contained a skeleton; there were endless piles of tottering books, overfilled bookcases, chipped statues of ugly old warlocks, various portraits and frames, and even an enormous stuffed troll.

Walking between the mounds she looked up and up at the teetering piles that seemed somewhat unstable in their towering height. The room was cavernous.

"Did you bring me here to kill me, Williams?" Malfoy asked.

"Not intentionally, but I could definitely hide your body here. No one would ever find it,"

"I'm going to remember you said that the next time we're in a dark corridor."

She ignored his comment as another thought occurred to her. "How is this room so tall? We're on the seventh floor, same as the Gryffindor Common Room. The only towers taller than that are Ravenclaw's and the Astronomy Tower."

Malfoy was looking up too, squinting. The ceiling was barely distinguishable in the low lighting. "It might go higher than your common room and still be shorter than the tower?"

She heard it before she saw it and ducked instinctively just before it whizzed by her ear, a blue blur tore across her vision. Standing back up she watched the small projectile weave up, around, and over the mounds of objects, moving too quickly for her to discern its shape. "What on Earth was that?" she asked.

"Cornish pixie is my guess. Nasty little buggers. Our Defense professor brought in a whole cage of them to class last year. A cage that looked a lot like that one," he pointed to one of the blackwire cages that Kaelix might have assumed was for a bird had the door not been bent from the inside and nearly torn from its hinges.

"Friendly," she said before moving farther into the room.

The sheer volume of haphazardly discarded items was impressive. A few paces off she saw large stone fragments littering the floor

"Are those… chess pieces?" Kaelix blinked, somehow finding it within herself to be a bit surprised if only by the sheer scale of them.

Stone scraped.

Kaelix jumped.

"It just  _moved_ ," she said.

"Well, yeah, most wizards chess pieces do," he said with a hint of amusement.

She turned an incredulous gaze on him, "And are most wizards chess pieces this large? You could practically ride that knight."

Malfoy shrugged, "Enlargement charm gone too far maybe? That's probably what a lot of this is," he gestured around, "magic gone wrong."

Stone scraped again. She nearly jumped out of her skin and quickly moved on.

"What is this place?" she wondered aloud as she walked past a badly burned bookcase.

"A trash heap, by the looks of it," he said, examining the hilt of a broken sword. "Fancy a duel, Williams?" He tried to brandish the broken sword but underestimated the weight of it and had to scramble to keep from dropping it.

She glanced back, "Put that down before you hurt yourself."

Movement to her right caught her eye. This time it was a small bird or insect, she looked closer, it was a key. A key with translucent wings fluttering softly through the room. She followed the lazy flying key with her gaze until something else caught her eye.

Up ahead, beyond a few smaller heaps of items, there was an unusually large cloak thrown over it and she almost didn't notice, but part of the elaborate frame was uncovered and glittered in the candle light. She wove between the clutter, moving closer, feeling for the first time since entering the room that she'd found something she wasn't supposed to. Apprehension raised the hairs at the base of her neck. As she approached the bottom of the cloak fluttered as if caught by a breeze that didn't exist, revealing for a moment the reflection of her own approaching feet.

She paused in front of it and gazed up at its towering form at nearly twice her height. It felt different than the other objects in the room. Everything else was discarded, forgotten, but not this. This mirror, or whatever was hidden beneath the cloak, hadn't been cast away here with the same nonchalance as the rest, it had been placed, deep inside the room, haphazardly hidden with the cloak so as not to appear too important. She reached out, her hand moving forward almost against her will, like some other force compelled her to look beneath the cloak.

With shallow breaths, forgetting everything else in the room, she pulled the cloak aside just far enough to reveal the surprisingly plain looking mirror. Despite the elaborate gold frame that appeared brand new, the reflective surface was dusty and marred with imperfections. She stared at her own reflection with intense scrutiny, trying to discern if anything about it was out of place.

She pulled the cloak a little farther and her reflection wavered. She blinked and it was done. Nothing changed. But something had. Her eyes scanned the now flawless reflective surface, not a single imperfection in sight. She pulled the cloak farther to see if the entire mirror had changed, she caught a glimpse of Malfoy in the mirror just behind her right shoulder and jumped, dropping the cloak and whipping around to chastise him.

"Malfoy, don't sneak up on someone like-" she stopped mid sentence. Malfoy wasn't there. "What the-?" She turned back to the mirror, her brow furrowed.

The cloak rippled again in the phantom wind that didn't catch anything else in the room. Kaelix took a slow step back. Her eyes darted down to the bottom sliver of the mirror that the cloak didn't quite cover. She could still see her ankles reflected there, but now they weren't alone. She glanced over her shoulder and back at the mirror, according to it there were two people behind her and one just to her right, but she couldn't see them. Were they dead? How had she seen Malfoy then? It had been Malfoy, hadn't it?

She waved her arm to the right, nothing. Would she feel them if they were invisible? What if they were dead? A shiver ran down her spine.

"Williams?" Malfoy called.

"Yeah?" she said.

"There you are, what did you find?" he asked.

"Nothing, just more junk," she said.

"You should come see what I found over here," he sets off, gesturing for her to follow him.

Her gaze lingered on the mirror for a moment longer. The scraping stone sounded again, setting her in motion. She set off to follow Malfoy, only looking back over her shoulder at the mirror once. but once was enough There were only two pairs of feet shown to be retreating from the mirror; hers and Malfoy's. She physically shook herself to dispel the unsettling feeling that still lingered.

"What did you find?" she asked, finally catching up to Malfoy.

"Look," he gestured to an elaborately carved wooden desk.

It wasn't just a desk though, there were small shelving units attached at the top and either side of the desk top. It was well worn, with stains from ink spills, small knicks and other marrings, and even discoloration where the owner's hands must have rested most often.

"Who do you think it belonged to?" Kaelix asked, enchanted by the beauty of the craftsmanship.

"Dunno, a former headmaster maybe? Or a professor?" he said.

Malfoy ran his hands over the top surface, admiring it's smooth grain. He pulled the knob of one of the built in cabinets and an envelop fell out.

Kaelix picked it up and turned it over in her hands, examining it closely. Though there was no indication of who the letter was addressed to, scrawled across the front in neat green ink was brief script that said ' _Don't say I never gave you anything'_. The back was pressed with a 'W' wax seal. Despite the apparent age of the desk and the thick layer of dust covering it's surface, the envelope appeared new.

"What do you think it is?" Malfoy asked.

"I don't know, but I think-" she started, "I think its for me."

Malfoy snorted just as stone scraped again but by now Kaelix didn't jump at the sound. "Why would a letter for you be hidden in this old thing?"

"I don't know," she said, "but I just… know."

"That was articulate."

Without another word she broke the seal.

"Williams?" he said in an exasperated tone, "What if it's not yours?"

"So what if it isn't? Are the owls going to hunt me down and peck me to death over opening someone's unaddressed post? How else am I supposed to find out who it belongs to?" she reasoned.

She pulled the contents of the envelope out, only a single piece of folded parchment. It felt thin, fragile.

"What is it?" asked Malfoy.

"Oh, now you want to know?"

"You're the one who ripped it open so I'm in the clear."

She took a quick scan, "It's a letter, from the Ministry of Magic." She looked closer and her jaw fell slack.

"What is it? Williams?"

When she didn't answer he stepped closer to look over her shoulder as she read.

_Dear Mr. O'Conner, **-** **Siphons?**_

_We have reviewed your request for access to alleged unofficial documents held by the Ministry and have determined that the documents you wish to access do not exist. All documents pertaining to the wegenstehl are public record and freely accessible, with the exception of the Department of Mysteries Records (listed below) which are confidential and only accessible to the department's employees. Anyone who stated that the Ministry is harboring unofficial records pertaining to the wegenstehl has been misinformed. We ask that you do not circulate this misinformation any farther, and if it is discovered that you are contributing to its spread then disciplinary action will be taken._

_Official Records pertaining to the wegenstehl:_  
 _The Myth of the Wegenstehl_ **\- Widely circulated myth, NOT historically accurate, exaggerated & embellished, different in every print, etc.  
**History of the Wegenstehl - Including the Timeline of the Wegenstehl  **\- Accurate historical account - may not be altogether accurate, Ministry's 'interpretation' of events  
** Department of Mysteries Wegenstehl Records (Confidential)  **\- "Confidential" aka contains something the Ministry doesn't want us to know - records on every witch or wizard suspected of being a wegenstehl?**

 _Sincerely,  
_ _Cassandra Shaw_   __ **Unofficial Documents Kept by the Ministry:  
** Cassandra Shaw  **1\. The Myth of the Wegenstehl (unedited)  
** Deputy Supervisor  **2\. History of the Wegenstehl (unedited) - Including the Timeline  
** Department of Mysteries  **3\. Department of Mysteries Wegenstehl (Siphon?) Records & Results  
** **4\. The Journals of Dr. Adler's Assistant (unedited)  
** **5\. The Doctor and The Madman**

"O'Conner? Isn't that the name of one of your dead people?"

"Yeah, it is. But Michael O'Conner disappeared and turned up dead in 1937, this letter would have to be over 50 years old," she said.

"Maybe this old desk belonged to your dead guy?"

"Maybe," she said, "But how did it end up in a freshly sealed envelope? You don't really think a Ministry employee addressed a letter with ' _don't say I never gave you anything'_?"

Before he could respond the loud sound of stone scraping on stone made both of them jump. Their attention snapped toward the reverberating thud that followed.

"What was that?" Kaelix whispered.

"I don't think I want to find out," said Malfoy, his voice also dropping low. "I think it's time we leave."

The scraping started again, louder, closer. Her heart was in her throat. Malfoy put a finger to his lips indicating she be quiet, she returned a look that said  _obviously_. He motioned for her to follow him and he turned back the way they'd come. They moved around the mound of stuff with silent steps. Malfoy peaked around the bookcase they pressed up against, toward the closest source of the sound. His body tensed immediately at whatever he saw.

"What is it?" she hissed.

"Shhh," he hissed back, waving his hand for emphasis.

She rolled her eyes and stepped around him to get a look for herself. "Oh, thank god, it's just a chess piece," she sighed.

The knight had been facing away but swivelled toward them at her words.

"Williams," said Malfoy, his voice threateningly low, "do you know how wizard's chess works?"

Her brow furrowed. She opened her mouth to respond but her voice died in her throat when the knight came to life before her eyes.

"Move!" Malfoy shouted.

But Kaelix may well have been petrified, immobilized by the shock of the stone game piece suddenly moving with all too lifelike agility. All she saw was the knight's stone sword barrelling down toward her.


	14. PS

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

Chapter 14: P.S.

All she saw was the knight's sword barrelling down toward her.

Before she could form a thought of reaction in her mind, Malfoy grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way. Pain erupted in her shoulder from the violent tug and she nearly yelped. The stone blade had been so close that she felt the air whoosh past from its descent. She felt the ground shake when it collided with the floor. The clang of the impact echoing through the room like a pulse. Somehow in the midst of her adrenalin Kaelix wondered if anyone else in the castle had heard the impossibly loud noise.

She trailed behind Malfoy as he ducked around the nearest pile of junk, glancing over her shoulder just in time to see the knight resume its previous statuesque pose. All signs of the animated assault were gone. They halted on the opposite side of the pile, well out of view of the game piece.

"What," Kaelix started, "the hell," she said between breaths, " _was that?_ "

Malfoy gave her a once over before responding, something like concern written across his features. "That was a knight, they usually move in L shapes around the board," he said, drawing an 'L' in the air with his finger.

She didn't bother to hide her annoyance. "I know the basic rules of chess, you git, but in my limited experience it doesn't usually involve giant game pieces coming to life as they please," she hissed.

Malfoy was looking around, listening for any sign that the knight was coming to life again. "To be fair," he said in a low voice, "the pieces usually aren't this large."

His comment did little to resolve her annoyance. "Oh but the attempted murder part is normal? Who was the brilliant wizard that decided wizard's chess should involve  _actually dying?_ " she snapped. "And you can let go of my arm now, I'm not jumping in front of any more chess pieces today."

He looked to where his left hand still grasped her arm like it didn't belong to him. He released her so quickly that if she didn't know any better she'd have thought she burned him. He busied the same hand with straightening his tie and shirt. "Normally it doesn't," he said casually, "they're only meant to go after other pieces, usually much smaller pieces."

"Mind explaining that to him," she gestured back toward their near miss with the knight.

Kaelix rubbed her shoulder, wondering how sore it would be tomorrow. She'd curse him for that later, right after thanking him for saving her life.

"They must think they're in a game or something," he said.

" _Think?_ " she sputtered, "I know we live in a world of magic, but they're made of stone, they shouldn't be thinking anything."

"They come to life like that when they're taking their opponent's pieces, so it's reasonable to assume that the knight thinks we are those pieces." His head snapped around at the sound of more stone scraping against stone.

Kaelix's mouth was half open, her smart remark never leaving her lips. It was the same sound they'd heard before the knight came after them. It was moving again, on the other side of the mountain of junk they'd put between them. But a thought occurred to Kaelix and her mouth went dry.

"Malfoy," she breathed, her voice barely distinguishable.

"Yeah?" he said, his voice just as low.

"In muggle chess knights can move through the other pieces."

She didn't have to elaborate. Stone scraped.

"Run, now," he ordered.

She didn't need to wait for him to grab her arm this time, she leapt into motion, taking off toward the entrance. A loud clang reverberated through the room and Kaelix glanced back just long enough to see that the knight had indeed moved straight through the mountain of stuff they'd been hiding behind, swinging it's sword for another killing blow where they'd been crouching just moments ago.

She stumbled, barely catching herself to avoid a very quick introduction with the floor.

"Watch it, Williams," Malfoy snapped.

She glared at him but refocused on avoiding the debris littering the floor in front of her. Her breaths were coming in shallow gasps already, Malfoy was having a much easier time keeping pace beside her. She silently cursed, she wasn't in shape for this nonsense. Why had they gone so far into the room? She had no idea how quickly the knight would be coming after them, she didn't want to risk looking back to check, but she tore around and weaved between all the discarded junk that filled the room. Suddenly much more annoyed by the haphazardly construction maze of a room.

They rounded another junk mountain and Kaelix nearly lost her footing skidding to a halt.

"You have got to be kidding," she said between heavy breaths. "Not another one."

Another towering game piece blocked their path, stone scraped as it swivelled to face them. Before Kaelix could register what the man at the top of the tower was holding, he jumped to life, drew an arrow and fired it straight for them.

She flinched and a rush of warmth washed over her, but the blow didn't come. The arrow clattered to the floor a few feet from them. It had collided with a semi translucent barrier that was streaming out of Malfoy's raised wand.

"Thanks for that," she said, still a bit winded from their sprint.

"Anytime," he said, not short of breath at all. Another arrow rebounded off his barrier. "I think that way is our best bet to get around him," he gestured past Kaelix to their right.

She nodded and jogged off to find a way around the rook, Malfoy close behind. With the rook blocking the main makeshift aisle back to the exit, they might end up scaling a few mounds of stuff to get out.

They slowed to a walk, Kaelix took a few deep breaths trying to get her breathing to even out. Part of the flush in her cheeks now due to the fact that Malfoy still wasn't winded at all and she sounded like a beached whale.

"What are the chances that those are the only two pieces in here?" she asked quietly, hoping to avoid detection and the subsequent need for more sprinting.

"Do you want the answer that's going to make you feel better or the honest answer?" he asked, keeping his eyes alert.

She heaved a sigh, and dropped her head back to gaze up at the cavernous ceiling. "This is what I get for making that joke about cats the other day," she groaned.

As if in answer of her question they heard more stone scraping across the floor, a lot more.

"I told you we shouldn't have come in here. Ouch! Did you just hit me?" he gaped.

"It's too soon for an 'I told you so', be glad that's all I did," she whispered.

"Our lives may be in actual danger and you choose now to start assaulting me?"

"If we survive this, remind me to apologize," she said. "But until then I'll be as violent as I please."

She could have sworn she saw him smile but then he was climbing up some stacked wooden cabinets and his concentration returned. He motioned for her to follow him.

"For the record, I don't think this is a good idea," she said.

But she found climbing up the stacked furniture easier than expect and much preferable to the sprinting around. The mound was surprisingly sturdy for a pile of junk and Kaelix wasn't nearly as afraid of falling down as she anticipated.

"I think if we keep going that way," Malfoy pointed to their right as she stood up beside him, "then we can get around the rook and make it to the door. It's a bit longer but if we don't run into anymore game pieces then we shouldn't have a problem."

"If?" said Kaelix.

"Well we don't exactly have a clear line of sight,"

He was right. The small mountain of stacked furniture that they'd climbed was hardly the tallest pile around, and while it gave them a good view of their immediate surroundings, it did little to reveal how many more chess pieces might be between them and the exit. Judging by the amount of movement they could hear echoing through the room, the number was far higher than they would have liked.

Kaelix glanced around for the rook but couldn't see it over a taller wall they'd put between them. Then she scouted around for the knight they'd initially encountered.

"Malfoy," she hit his arm and pointed back the direction they'd come from, "I don't think the knight is restricted to L shapes anymore," she said.

It certainly wasn't moving in an L pattern, it was coming straight for them, through everything that stood between them. It was charging.

"Run," he practically shoved her off the pile they'd climbed, down the other side.

She half climbed, half fell down the side of the mountain of stuff, breaking several objects along the way. As soon as her feet hit the stone floor she started running again. Adrenalin was pumping in her ears, she was flushed with heat from sprinting. It was from the sprinting, wasn't it? She didn't have time to think about it. She could feel Malfoy right behind her. She was so focused on getting away from the knight that she didn't really pay attention to which direction she was running, choosing whichever path looked easiest to maneuver through.

"Left, we have to circle back," he called to her, his own breath finally starting to shorten.

She turned left at the next opportunity, how far out of the way had she run? She cursed herself for the extra effort. The front wall of the room was close, now they just needed to get back to the door.

"Oh, hell-" Kaelix cursed.

A pawn moved into the path ahead of them with it's dual swords drawn. She veered to the side, unwillingly choosing a path that took them back into the room a bit. She could still hear Malfoy behind her, which was both comforting and nerve wracking as she sometimes mistook the noise for another chess piece. Her lungs were burning and so were her legs, she wan't sure how much longer she could keep this up. Another pawn entered their path.

Kaelix cursed silently, not having the breath to vocalize it. She cut to the right, weaved around several broken lights and instruments, and then ducked behind a large bookcase. She doubled over, clutching the stitch in her side and gasping for air. On top of being short of breath it was so damn warm. Malfoy ducked behind the bookcase with her, though his breathing was labored it didn't have him doubled over with her. He held his wand at the ready incase they were found.

"Sorry," she breathed.

"Don't," he said quickly, looking through the crack between the bookcases they'd taken refuge behind. "Just catch your breath, we're almost back to the door."

Kaelix wasn't sure how long they spent there. Adrenalin had a way of distorting time so that it felt like both the longest and shortest minute of her life. It was an effort to try to even out her breathing and stay quiet when she was expecting a stone sword to come crashing down on them at any second.

"We should move, before they get any closer. I can see the door, it's not far," he said.

Kaelix pulled herself up, she could rest again when they got out of here.

"Are you going take out your wand or leave all the defense to me?" Malfoy asked without looking at her.

"I left my wand in my dorm this afternoon," she said quietly.

"What?" he snapped around and looked at her like she'd sprouted another head, "why would you do that?"

She crossed her arms, "I wasn't exactly planning on getting hunted down by vengeful game pieces after dinner."

"Well, I guess this will teach you to be prepared for the unexpected next time," he scowled.

His head whipped back around at the sound of a large crash that sounded far too close for comfort.

"Could we maybe not do the life lesson thing  _right_ now?" said Kaelix, stepping closer to him to peer through the crack as well.

Another loud crash sounded and they felt the floor shake, saw the bookcase rattle.

"I think right now is the best possible time to learn this lesson," he hissed.

Kaelix's hand trembled and her world felt off center for a moment. She grabbed the back of a broken chair to steady herself.

"The door should be right over there," she gestured.

"It is," he confirmed, "but there are bishops guarding it."

" _What?_ "

"Both bishops, they're on either side of the door, like sentries."

"Can't you just immobilize them or something?" she asked, but her question was drown out by more scraping of stone that sent a shiver down her spine.

"We're about to find out," he said.

Then he was out from behind the bookcase, shouting a spell toward a pawn. It froze.

"It worked," he sounded relieved.

Kaelix stepped out from their hiding place. The game piece was indeed frozen, mid draw of his swords. She closed her eyes, wishing desperately that it was cooler. When she opened her eyes she could have sworn the pawn had moved slightly.

"Let's go," he said, "before it wears off."

She nodded, letting him lead the way this time. She glanced back over her shoulder and sucked in a breath, the pawn had definitely moved. Not far, but the spell likely wasn't going to hold it much longer. They approached the nearly open area that spanned nearly fifty yards around the entrance. The door was indeed flanked by a bishop on either side. But they were nearly there.

Stone scraped.

Kaelix jumped and looked behind them, then to their right and left.

She stepped closer to him. "Malfoy," she said, her voice almost faltering.

"I know, I see them," he said and she didn't like the tone in his voice, "I'm not sure I can stop them all."

Her chest was tight. Why was it always so damn warm. That's when she noticed a faint glow forming at her fingertips and a thought occurred to her. Maybe she didn't need her wand, she hadn't really used it that time on the train with the dementor. Game pieces couldn't be any harder to dissuade than that, could they?

"We don't need to stop them all," she said, "just the bishops."

As if sensing their plan the bishops stalked forward, each holding their lance defensively in front of them. The pawns sharpened their blades. The knights' horses pawing the ground. They weren't playing a game, they never had been.

Malfoy grabbed her arm again and they moved together, inching closer to the door, closer to the bishops. His wand was drawn before him, aimed at the bishops, but he kept his gaze moving, kept track of all the pieces surrounding them. Slowly they made a little progress toward their escape. A few of the pawns were sharpening their blades against each other, threateningly looming at the edge of their makeshift circle.

"That's reassuring," she said. "What do you think they're waiting for?"

"I'd rather not find out. We're going to have to run for it," he said.

"And hope they can't follow us through that door," she said.

"If they do we'll take the stairs, I have a feeling they'll struggle a bit with those," he said with a smirk, then more seriously, "you ready?"

She nodded.

"Alright, when I say go we run, and you don't stop running until you're on the other side of that door, okay?"

"Same to you, because I'm not closing it until you're through," she said.

She thought he might protest but before either of them could say another word, the knight was charging them. Malfoy spun, pulling her behind him as he went. His wand flourished and he shouted " _Petrificus totalus!_ " The knight froze about ten yards from them but their relief was short lived as the rest of the pieces started advancing on them.

One of the bishops shot forward with unbelievable speed, it's lance poised to impale them. Kaelix's breath caught, a silent scream stuck in her throat. The heat swept over her, through her, and away. It swept toward the bishop that was poised to strike them and it froze.

Kaelix blinked. She should be dead, they both should be. She hardly noticed the cold that washed over her like the trailing shockwave of the heat. She stood staring at the tip of the bishop's lance, only a few feet from them. The other pieces had stopped advancing though they didn't appear to be frozen the same way the bishop was.

Malfoy snapped out of it before she did. "Williams, the door, now," he shouted.

She jumped, her feet springing to action before her brain had fully registered the command. The second bishop lunged for them but Malfoy hit it with the same spell he'd used on the knight and it froze mid strike, long enough for them to sprint past. She could feel the other pieces coming for them, hear them scraping across the floor. The room tilted as she pushed her legs to sprint faster for the door. Just a few more feet, she told herself, just make it through the door.

Malfoy beat her to the door, throwing it open, her momentum carried her straight through. She slowed to avoid colliding with the opposite wall of the corridor, crumpling against it, her head spinning from exertion. She pressed her back to the wall and saw Malfoy slam the door shut just as a pawn's sword was swinging for it. They could still hear the scraping on the other side of the door, the thudding that sounded like stone weapons hitting it from the inside. Kaelix prayed the door would hold, if it didn't she wasn't sure she had the energy to run any farther.

Malfoy backed away from the door, his wand still held defensively in front of him. He didn't stop until his back was pressed up against the wall next to her. The thundering and clanging from the other side of the door grew more and more muffled and then the door began to shrink. Kaelix thought it was her imagination at first, or her eyes playing tricks on her, but a few short moments later there was no mistaking it, the door was half the size it had been. A third. A quarter. It continued to shrink smaller and smaller, right before their eyes until it disappeared completely.

There was nothing in the corridor except the two of them and their labored breathing. Kaelix's hands were still shaking and she slid down the wall to sit before her knees gave out. Then she laughed, though not entirely certain why.

"Are you alright?" Malfoy asked, sliding down the wall to sit next to her.

She was still laughing, blaming it on the stress of the situation. A deep breath evened her out a bit. "Yeah, I think so. You?" she asked looking him over.

He nodded, "I think so."

"Brilliant," she said with a smile.

"So, that comment you made earlier," said Malfoy, "about not having any traumatic childhood stories?"

She laughed again, "Yeah?"

"I think this counts as one," he gestured to where the door had disappeared.

"That? That was just a walk in the park," her teeth nearly chattered as a shiver ran through her.

"How about we make a deal, no more entering doors that randomly appear and disappear on a whim?" he said.

"What if there's a sign that says 'no murderous larger than life size chess pieces within' could we go in then?"

He laughed, "If you can find a door with that particular sign, I'll consider it."

"Deal," she grinned.

* * *

Kaelix and Malfoy had sat in the corridor for awhile just recovering from the ordeal with the chess pieces. They pondered the reason behind the violent game pieces but neither of them had any kind of plausible answer, nor did they have any idea how or why the room had suddenly appeared and then disappeared again. There were two things Kaelix was certain of as she climbed through the portrait hole to Gryffindor Tower; one was that no matter how dismissive Malfoy was about the letter they'd found, she was convinced that the O'Conner it was addressed to and the Michael O'Conner that died in Ipswich were one in the same; and two, the only thing she was interested in doing right now was curling up in her bed under a mountain of blankets to stave off the chill of the castle's winter air.

She crossed the common room with her head bowed and her hands deep in her pockets. She didn't notice the other occupant until she was already halfway to the stairs and he spoke.

"You're getting back late," he said with an edge to his voice that indicated he was ready for an argument.

Her gaze snapped to an armchair by the fire. He almost startled her; for a moment she'd forgotten that there was anyone else in the world, anything other than those damn chess pieces and the cryptic letter they seemed to be protecting. She ran her finger along the aged parchment to remind herself that she'd somehow managed to keep it with her throughout the entire life size chess ordeal.

"You were getting less annoying, don't stop now," she remarked and continued toward the stairs.

"Who was that man you were talking to in Honeydukes?" he demanded.

She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh, stopping just short of the stairs that led up to her dorm. Too tired and distracted for a sparring match she said, "After nearly a week I was actually starting to think that you wouldn't ask about that. Thought you might mind your own business just this once."

"You were talking to him in a crowded shop in a busy village," he said defensively, "you can't be upset that some people might have noticed." He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, the firelight glinting off his glasses, highlighting the intensity of his emerald green stare. "And I would have asked you sooner but you've been glued to Malfoy like someone hit the two of you with a permanent sticking charm."

She cocked her head and her lips turned up in a small grin, "Jealous, Potter? Fancy being stuck with me yourself?"

He didn't bother to hide the scoff nor the look of disgust that crossed his features, "Hardly."

"Try not to act too disgusted, I might start to think you don't really like me." She rolled her shoulders as a shiver went down her spine, why was it so damn cold in the castle.

His jaw clenched, "Who said I did?"

"You did, when you followed me around and wouldn't stop asking intrusive questions," she explained.

Was that a bit of heat she saw rising in his cheeks? It certainly wasn't from the temperature of the room, even with the still roaring fire it was chilly.

He chose to ignore her comment. "You should try to have your next secret meeting in a less obvious place, otherwise more people might notice what you're up to and start asking those questions that you don't want to answer."

"I don't really care if you or anyone else noticed, but just because you notice doesn't mean it's any of your business."

"I could report you, you know," he said with a bit too much arrogance for her liking.

"To who, my parents?" she asked.

"I could go to Dumbledore," he threatened, leaning back again and crossing his arms. His unwavering confidence annoyed her. Just how highly did he think of himself?

She scoffed, "And tell him what exactly, that I'm being too friendly with strangers in Hogsmeade and you're worried about me? Would that be before or after you explain to him how you managed to get to Hogsmeade when you're aren't allowed to go." She paused, suddenly curious, "Why is that by the way?"

"Why is what?" he snapped.

"Why aren't you allowed to go?" She leaned casually against the wall next to the stairs, drawing her arms across her chest to stave off some of the chill.

His jaw clenched again and his expression hardened. "My uncle refused to sign the form."

"Why?" she asked, her brow furrowing with genuine curiosity.

"Because," he ground out through clenched teeth.

"Because why?" she insisted, sensing his irritation and enjoying it more than she probably ought to. "It's just a few innocent trips to a village. What could he possibly have against that?"

"Because he did, okay, just drop it," there was more edge there than normal. It was different than their usual verbal warfare, where he would ask intrusive questions until she snapped at him and then he would snap back as if she'd somehow started the whole thing. This time it wasn't his overly curious and suspicious nature driving him, this time he'd been spoiling for a fight since the moment she walked in.

"Now do you understand how annoying it is to be persistently bothered with questions that you don't want to answer?" she couldn't help asking.

"It's personal," he snapped.

"Just like every question you've ever asked me," she leaned forward with each irritated word. "But I'm feeling curious myself tonight, so I'll make you a deal," she crossed the room slowly, Potter's hawk like stare following each step to where she stopped beside the armchair opposite him. She leaned against the chair and casually proposed, "I'll answer yours, if you answer mine."

He eyed her for a moment, keeping his expression neutral while he weighed her proposition. His curiosity no doubt warring with his own desire for privacy. The firelight flickered in the reflection of his glasses, overlaying his eyes it made his emerald stare look like an inferno.

"My aunt and uncle despise magic, that's why they wouldn't sign the form. Who were you talking to in Hogsmeade," he asked, his curiosity had won.

"I don't know, he just came up to me and started talking," she said, dropping down into the chair, grateful for the warmth of the fire.

"If you don't know him then why are you meeting with him?" he asked sharply.

"Ah, ah, ah, remember the rules," she said. "What do you know about Sirius Black?"

If he was surprised by the question he didn't show it. He didn't show anything really. "Same as everyone else, he's a mass murdering git who's off his rocker, wants to bring Voldemort back, and probably kill me while he's at it. Why were you meeting with him?"

She shrugged, instantly regretting it as a twinge of pain rippled through her shoulder, she tried not to wince. "I wasn't really, he just sort of appeared. Did you know your father was friends with Black?"

"Yeah, I did. What did you and your Hogsmeade mystery man talk about?" he demanded.

"First of all, I call him the Inn Man, and second, we talked about the usual, classes, weather, people, reading recommendations. He pointed me toward a few things he thought I might be interested in. Do you know what Black's doing here?" She curled her legs up into the chair and tucked them beneath her, hoping that would help warm her up quicker.

He hesitated before answering, as if trying to decide if asking another question was worth offering this particular answer. "He's here to kill me, at least that's what I've heard. What exactly did this Inn Man recommend you read?"

"A rather interesting murder mystery. Do you know why he would want to kill you?"

"Because he's a mass murdering git who's off his rocker?" he offered.

She narrowed her eyes, "That doesn't count, give me a real answer."

"Because he supports Voldemort," he said as if that were an explanation.

"What does that have to do with-"

"No, it's my turn now," he cut her off, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees again. "What murder mystery did he tell you to read."

She crossed her arms tighter, wondering if she wanted to share this particular answer.

"Come on," he said with a smirk. "You can't be done playing already," he challenged.

She couldn't back down from that. "Katherine Holstein's. Do you know anything about her?"

His face remained blank, "No, never heard of her. Who is she?"

"Not entirely sure, according to the Prophet she lived with Black for awhile and then ended up dead, in the street with the rest of his victims," she paused, thinking of her next question. She recalled the conversation she'd overheard in Hogsmeade, everyone certainly seemed convinced that Black wanted to kill Potter but she wondered. "Why are you so certain that Black is here to kill you?"

"Past behavior, he already tried to get me killed twelve years ago and now he's back to finish the job himself. Why are you so interested in him?" His eyes narrowed on her.

Another answer she wasn't sure she wanted to give him, deal or not. Her cheeks might have flushed from the anxiety his question had tripped in her, were they not already flushed from the cold. The fire was helping but she still wanted to burrow beneath a pile of blankets.

"I like puzzles," she supplied.

"That doesn't count," he said, using her own words against her, "give me a real answer."

She stood and moved closer to the fire. She watched the light dance as it warmed her skin and she finally felt the cold beginning to recede. Her gaze was unfocused on the fire, the rhythmic flickering of the flames was hypnotizing. It didn't really matter what answer she gave Potter, because she'd asked herself the same question. She could feel his eyes on her back, waiting, watching.

"He lived with Katherine," she said to the fire, not entirely knowing how that was an answer at all. "They must have been close, then he just turns around and kills her along with twelve others. It doesn't add up and I'm curious." She turned to warm her back as well, her arms still wrapped tightly around her. "Do you really think he betrayed your parents?"

"How do you know about that?" he asked sharply.

"Remember the rules, Potter, answer mine first and I'll answer yours."

"Yes," he snapped. "I'm pretty damn sure he betrayed my parents and got them killed. Now how did you know about that?"

"I heard a rumor."

"Eavesdropping?"

"Accidental."

His mouth twitched, she expected him to be angry but he almost looked like he was fighting back amusement. "Looks like I'm not the only nosey one afterall."

She wanted to reach out and slap that smug look right off his face. But somehow she thought that would only amuse him more. "Why do you think he did it?" she asked, opting to ignore his comment entirely, "why pretend to be friends for so long just to betray them?"

The hint of amusement flickered and then snuffed out. "Because he's a spineless coward who doesn't care about anyone or anything other than himself."

Kaelix rubbed her eyes, suddenly aware of just how tired she was from her little chess match. "Just seems strange, you know, that he could keep up an act like that for so long. Without slipping up, without someone noticing something."

"What other explanation is there?" he snapped.

Her eyes lost focus, directed at a spot on the carpet . She ran through the facts in her mind. The years long act, the betrayal, Katherine, the murders, breaking out of Azkaban, breaking into Hogwarts only to try to get inside an empty common room. She had to admit, as curious as some of Black's actions were, there wasn't really anything that screamed that he'd been set up. Nothing concrete at least. But she kept coming back to the hopeless man she saw in the corridor on Halloween. It wasn't just that he didn't  _look_  like a murderer, he didn't  _feel_  like one. But that wasn't exactly a demonstraightable fact.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I don't know," was all she said to him.

A shiver went down her spine.

"You feeling alright?" he asked. "That's not the first time I've seen you shiver since you got here but that fire has almost got me sweating."

She looked up and met his gaze, arming herself with a sharp retort. But she hesitated when she saw a foreign expression on his face. His features had softened but his gaze was just as intense. He was worried about her.

Heat rose in her cheeks, just when she thought he couldn't get anymore annoying. "I'm fine," she said shortly. She abandoned the warmth of the fire and dropped back into the armchair across from him. "Not all of us are hot headed enough to keep ourselves warm."

He worked his jaw a bit and the concern was erased from his features instantly. "Tell me about your boggart then."

"That's not a question," she remarked, resting her head back against the chair.

"Who's the boy your boggart turned into during class?" he rephrased.

She studied the ceiling, not really sure why she was opting to continue indulging him. As curious as he was about her, she wanted to know why. "He used to be a friend."

"I didn't ask who he used to be," Potter snapped. "Who is he now?"

"Now?" she repeated, "Now he's no one."

"Williams-"

She lifted her head up and looked him square in the eye. "He's dead."

She watched his resolve crumble, he faltered, looking almost remorseful, "I'm sorry."

She let her head drop back again, "It was years ago, I hardly remember. Who's Voldemort? And why does he want you dead?"

"You're joking, right?"

She frowned, "I would never joke with you, Potter, I don't like you that much."

"Wait," his brow furrowed and he cocked his head a bit, "You really don't know who he is?"

She met his question with a level but confused gaze, suddenly feeling as though she'd skipped the first two books in a series and was stumbling around in the middle of things.

"Wait, so you don't know who I am? Or what this is?" he pointed to the scar on his forehead.

She'd noticed the scar before but never thought anything of it. It was a bit oddly shaped, almost like a lightning bolt, but otherwise unremarkable. Or so she thought.

"You can't possibly expect everyone you meet to know who you are?" she asked.

His lips curved into a small mischievous smile, like he'd just figured out some dark secret. "Not everyone, no. Just anyone who knows anything about the wizarding world, anyone who's in their third year of school would certainly have heard about it by now. But then," his smile grew slightly, like he couldn't help himself. Kaelix wanted to wipe that arrogant look right off his face. "We all assumed you'd transferred here from another school, but you didn't, did you?"

He said it like he already knew the answer.

Kaelix flexed her hands, "What does it matter?"

"It doesn't," he shrugged, his posture shifting, more relaxed, he thought he'd somehow gained the metaphorical high ground, "it's just interesting. Why start late?"

"It's a little hard to attend a school that you don't know exists. I told you ages ago that I never got my letter," she said evenly.

"You were serious? I thought you were putting me on with that," he said, surprise plain on his face.

She shook her head, "Dumbledore said he doesn't know why it never came, but I'm pretty sure he at least has a theory. But he doesn't seem to think I should know," she added bitterly.

"I'm sure if he knew he'd tell you," he said.

"I'm pretty sure he does know and he hasn't. I'm pretty sure he knows a lot more than he's admitting to. Selfish Old Man."

"Dumbledore wouldn't keep things from you," Potter argued.

She raised a slender eyebrow, "Why not?"

"Because he's a good man," he said.

"Just because you think that doesn't make it true," she said.

His posture stiffened again, the severity returning to his expression. "He's the greatest man I know, he would never keep something like that from you, and if he is then it's for your own good."

"That's easy to say when it's someone else he's lying to," she countered. "How would you feel if he knew what happened to your parents and refused to tell you?"

"He would never do that," he insisted.

"He's doing that to me," she snapped.

"If he says he doesn't know, then he doesn't know," his words were sharp, his patience was running thin.

Kaelix's patience was thin too. "Which is it then, are you blind or just stupid?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," he snapped.

"Right, so he came to you and told you that Black betrayed your parents and wants to kill you? He told you that it was your father's best friend,  _your godfather_ , that gave your parents up?" she asked.

"He would have if someone else hadn't already told me," Potter insisted.

"Only because he was forced to. What if Black had never escaped? The Old Man must have known about Black and your parents since the day they were murdered, right? So why wait until he breaks out of prison to tell you- I'm sorry, to have someone  _else_ tell you?"

"You don't even know what's going on, you have no idea what you're talking about," was his only defense.

"Maybe," she conceded, "but neither do you."

"What is it you're so convinced that he's keeping from you? The reason your letter didn't come on time? What a tragedy," he said sarcastically.

"You think you're the only one who had to grow up without parents, Potter?" she snapped. "At least you have the luxury of knowing what happened to yours."

She watched him deflate before her very eyes. Watched as the realization dawned on his face and then transformed into guilt, and then pity.

"Williams, I'm sorry-" he stammered, "I- I didn't know. If I had I never would have-"

"Yeah, that's not an excuse though," she said sharply. "You shouldn't feel bad because you found out I never knew my parents, you should feel bad because you wouldn't stop pestering me until I caved in and told you something that I clearly didn't want to talk about."

"If you would've just told me-" he started.

"I don't  _just have_  to tell you anything," she said rising from her chair, "that's the whole point."

But he still didn't get it. He was still sitting there looking pissed at her, like she'd put his foot in his mouth for him. She wanted to argue, to make him understand why he was the one being a prat, but she knew it was futile. She headed for the stairs.

"Isn't it a little hypocritical of you to be upset with Dumbledore for withholding information from you when you're doing the same exact thing?" he growled.

She froze. He was right, Dumbledore refused to answer her questions, outright lied to her about them, and she was doing the same thing to Potter. But he was wrong, because it wasn't the same.

"No," she said. "No, because I have a right to know what happened to my parents, to know whether or not they ended up dead somewhere or just abandoned me. But you have no right to that information, you have no right to know anything about me. You're too entitled, Potter."

She turned and disappeared up the staircase, leaving him to seethe over her comments all alone.

* * *

Kaelix spent a great deal of the next few days in the library trying to find any possible reference to the term wegenstehl. She also tried looking into siphons, the term Michael had scribbled onto the letter with several question marks. So far she hadn't had any luck with either term, wegenstehl didn't appear in any of the volumes she'd tried so far, and siphon turned up in far too many but nothing aside from the typical use of the term. The new puzzle piece made for an interesting distraction and had been doubly beneficial in that it kept her busy and away from Potter and Weasley, both of whom had turned quite sour since Christmas, for a reason she'd yet to determine and didn't entirely care to.

Hermione had also taken up residence in the library for much of the days following Christmas, seemingly to avoid the boys and their sour moods. Kaelix glanced over to where Hermione sat across the aisle. She was muttering quietly to herself about something for the past while. Kaelix turned back to the book she was currently scanning through. Her eyes darted across the page, locating the W section of the index. Once there she scanned down through the list and yet again came up empty. She heaved an unconscious sigh, closing what must have been her hundredth book that morning. She hopped of the table she'd been sitting on and arched into a lazy stretch. Her stomach growled, giving some vague indication of the time that had passed since she sat down.

She rubbed her forehead where a headache was attempting to settle in. Her endeavor feeling more and more futile but the minute, especially since she didn't have a single clue as to how to narrow down her search. She didn't know if wegenstehl referred to people or a creature or even what timeframe it might be likely to appear during. She rubbed her neck and gazed up and up at the shelves that extended far over her head and groaned. The sheer size of the library and the impossibility of her finding a needle in this dusty old haystack becoming undeniably clear. There must have been tens of thousands of books occupying all those shelves in all those rows, she could spend her lifetime here and never make a dent.

One more, she decide, one more and she'd go down and get something to eat. Abandoning all sense of organization and tactic, she walked up the aisle a bit and grabbed the first book off the shelf that caught her eye.  _Notable Magical Names of Our Time._  Seemed as promising as any other, odds of randomly selecting a book referencing the mysterious term were probably just as high as trying to logically choose the right one, she reasoned. She hopped back up onto the table and let the book fall open across her lap. She swept her curtain of dark hair over her shoulder and flipped back to the index. Turning the pages until she was near the end of the alphabet. She located the beginning of the W terms with a slender finger and her eyes followed down the list.

"There you are," a familiar voice called from the main aisle, "I've been looking for you. Haven't you finished your assignments yet?"

"Days ago," she said without looking up.

"Then what are you- You're not still looking into those three disappearances are you?" he asked, leaning against the table next to her.

"No, not at the moment," she turned the page, her finger trailing just ahead of where her eyes scanned the page.

He slid his hands into his pockets and asked, "Then what are you doing here?"

She emitted and irritated sound when she reached the end of the W's of that particular book and came up empty, yet again. "Research," she said, flipping back to check the S section of the index for good measure, though she wasn't even slightly hopeful.

"You're starting to be as bookish as Granger, always reading about something," he said with a shake of his head.

"What's wrong with that? She has top marks for our year doesn't she, are you afraid I'll knock you into third place?" she teased.

"Hardly," he shrugged her comment off then tipped his head toward the book in her lap, "what are you looking for now?"

She finished scanning the S section and unsurprisingly, it turned up nothing. "I was curious about the contents of that letter we found the other day." She snapped the book closed, "But apparently the wegen-whatever is not a notable magical name of our time." She rested her elbows on the closed book in her lap. "Does it bother you that her marks are higher than yours?"

His posture stiffened and he looked away. "She's a mudblood, everything she does bothers me."

"You don't actually take that blood purity bit seriously, do you? That's rubbish,"

"It's not rubbish. Purebloods are superior, that's a fact,"

"How so? Are you better at brewing potions? Or maybe all that pureblood gives you an advantage at transfiguration?"

He crossed his arms, "It's not like that."

"Then what's it like? Magic doesn't seem to care whether her parents were wizards or muggles. She's got it in her blood same as you and me. And somehow, even with the handicap," she made sharp air quotes around the word, "you claim her blood is, she still manages to keep higher marks than you."

He wavered but only for a moment before his steely resolve returned, "I could beat her if I wanted to."

"Really?" she asked, almost laughing. Shaking her head, she hopped off the table and slid the book back into its home. "Because I think you do want to, I think you want to so badly it infuriates you, because it would prove your point. But you can't, because blood is meaningless. And I think you know that."

Kaelix grabbed her bag and turned on her heel.

"Where are you going?" he snapped.

"What does it matter to you?" she shot back over her shoulder.

She had no doubt that he watched her cross the aisle and walk straight up to the table that Hermione had sprawled several piles of books across. Hermione was muttering to herself and didn't seem to notice Kaelix's approach.

"I was just doing what I thought was best," she huffed. "There's no telling who sent that broom, it needs to be checked. And McGonagall  _agreed_  with me," she muttered.

"Hermione?" Kaelix said, trying not to startle the poor girl.

"Those two can be so insufferable," she continued, "when I was only trying to help. You would think I set the broom on fire."

"Hermione?" Kaelix said louder this time.

"What? Oh, sorry," she smiled weakly up at Kaelix. She looked tired, really tired.

Kaelix scanned the books laid out before her. "How many classes are you taking?"

"Hmm? Oh, only twelve, just the same as everyone else," she said rather quickly.

Kaelix paused, silently ticking off her own classes only got her to nine, was she forgetting some?

"Did you need something?" Hermione asked, a bit uneasy. Her eyes darted past Kaelix to where Malfoy must still be defiantly leaning against the table across the aisle.

Kaelix shook away the question of Hermione's overpacked schedule and the musings of how she could possibly be attending so many classes. "Yes, just a question really." Hermione nodded for her to continue. Have you ever heard of something called a wegenstehl?" she asked. "Or a siphon?" she added hastily.

"I'm sorry, a what?"

"A wegenstehl. I saw the term written down somewhere but I can't seem to find any information on it, I haven't been able to find a single reference to it anywhere."

She thought for a moment and then shook her head, "I can't recall ever having come across the term before. I'd be happy to do a bit of research on it, see what I can find. How did you spell that?"

"Here," Kaelix said, taking her quill and a spare bit of parchment. She spelled out the word and decided at the last minute to add Michael O'Conner's name to it as well. Then she passed it back to Hermione.

"Hmm… that looks German, it's likely pronounced  _vey-gen-sh-tell_. Where did you say you'd seen it written down? And who is Michael O'Conner?" Hermione asked.

"I saw it in a letter," she said hesitantly. She knew anything she told Hermione would more than likely make it back to Potter. But she didn't know where else to look. "The letter was addressed to Michael O'Conner from the Ministry of Magic. He must have been asking about the vey-gen-shtell," she carefully sounded out the word the same way Hermione had, "because the letter was basically saying that they didn't know anything about it."

If the information seemed particularly curious to Hermione, she didn't give any indication of it. "Okay," she said, tucking the parchment into her bag. "I'll let you know if I find anything."

Kaelix offered a polite smile, "Thank you."

* * *

Hermione didn't approach Kaelix with any information over the remaining days of the Holiday break. She was disappointed that she hadn't heard anything, but only chastised herself for even getting her hopes up after her own futile efforts. Potter and Weasley remained moody through the end of the break, refusing to speak to Hermione entirely. Even with their more sour than normal attitudes, Kaelix was grateful because it seemed Hermione hadn't shared her request with them. She figured she'd know the moment Hermione told either of them because Potter would be on her in an instant, asking all about the wegenstehl and Michael O'Conner. But whatever disagreement they were having over that damn broomstick was working in her favor.

Malfoy was being, well, Malfoy. He was his own form of sour for the day or two following their disagreement over the validity of blood status, but he didn't bring it up again. And by the time Nott and Zabini returned he was back to his usual sarcastic self. The returning students also brought much more life and less gloom to the Gryffindor common room. Though she wasn't the biggest fan of a crowd, being stuck in the tower with only three other housemates was starting to get to her.

Kaelix had figured that by the time lessons had resumed, Potter and Weasley's anger would have subsided but it seemed to have only festered and they were still refusing to speak to Hermione. She was attempting to catch Hermione just after Defense Against the Dark Arts class to ask if she'd found anything about the wegenstehl, and inadvertently overheard a brief exchange between the normally golden trio.

"Still looks ill, doesn't he?" said Weasley. "What d'you recon's the matter with him?"

Kaelix kept a pace or two off, having no desire to interact with Weasley or Potter.

Hermione uttered a loud and pointedly impatient 'tut' from where she trailed behind them. Remarkably, they'd still sat together through the lesson, but Kaelix could practically feel the tension between them from across the classroom.

"And what are you tutting at us for?" Weasley snapped.

"Nothing," Hermione said in a lofty voice, heaving her nearly bursting bag up over her shoulder.

Kaelix considered intervening on Hermione's behalf, not because she didn't think she could hold her own but because it would piss off the already annoyed Weasley. But she refrained. If their friendship was really imploding over a broomstick she didn't want to be the one that tipped it over the edge.

"Yes, you were," said Weasley. "I said I wonder what's wrong with Lupin, and you-"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" said Hermione with an air of superiority and haughtiness that Kaelix did not see from her often.

"If you don't want to tell us, don't," snapped Weasley again.

"Fine," she said, and marched away.

Kaelix moved to intercept, "Hermione, do you-" she glanced around, there were too many people to ask outright, "do you  _know?_ " she asked in a low whisper, afraid Weasley or Potter or anyone really might be eavesdropping.

"Hermione blinked, "Know what?"

 _About Lupin_ , she almost asked. But Weasley's suspicious gaze was locked on the two of them, he leaned over to Potter, no doubt whispering speculations about their conversation.

If Hermione knew and hadn't said anything yet, then she wasn't likely to. And knowing her, she'd read all about the prejudices that werewolves faced. Which meant she knew what would happen if she said anything. Which meant she wouldn't say anything.

"Anything about that thing I asked you to look into," Kaelix segwayed.

"Oh!" Hermione said, as if it were obvious. "Oh, yes, of course. I'm afraid I wasn't able to find much. Just this list of books, really." Hermione handed Kaelix a slip of parchment. "It doesn't look like there are any copies of any of them in the Hogwarts library so I listed the name of a rare book dealer in Diagon Alley that you can contact if you're interested. I've already contacted him and he has at least one of those on hand right now. And one more, that name you gave me, Michael O'Conner, he went missing in August of 1936 and turned up several months later in-"

"In Ipswich where he was found dead, I found the Prophet articles about that too," said Kaelix. She scanned the list of book titles before tucking the parchment away in her bag.

Weasley was getting antsy and gesturing toward them. Potter was keeping him back but kept his hardened gaze on Kaelix too.

Hermione nodded, "He attended Hogwarts and before he disappeared he worked for the Department of Mysteries. That being his occupation, there wasn't much more that I could find."

"Department of Mysteries?" she asked, recalling the signature at the bottom of the letter.

"Yes, very hush hush department of the Ministry. Most of the staff there are Unspeakables, meaning they aren't allowed to talk about their work to anyone outside their department, and even some within" she explained.

"Bet that makes group projects a bit difficult," remarked Kaelix.

Hermione chuckled, "Yes, it would. The only thing I could find was a few overly vague references to being awarded a special research opportunity within the department. I'm afraid to get anything more than that you'd likely have to be a Ministry employee yourself," said Hermione solemnly, then her eyes lit up, "perhaps Mr. Weasley would know something." But she deflated again, "Though I doubt Mrs. Weasley would approve of him sharing anything if he did…"

"That's quite alright, Hermione, you've done plenty. Thank you very much," she said, wanting to get away before Potter lost his grip on Weasley and he stalked over to yell at her.

Hermione beamed at her, "You're welcome. And if you do send for any of those books would you mind letting me know? I'd love to read them myself in my spare time."

Kaelix laughed at the prospect of Hermione having even a moment of spare time, but she'd been able to research this extra material on top of the homework for all twelve of her classes. "Of course. Thanks again."

The laugh must have pushed Weasley over the top because he started toward them at a clipped pace.

Kaelix watched his advance. "Do you want some backup?" she offered.

Hermione heaved a sigh but seemed to consider her offer for a moment. "No, no I can handle them. Even if they are being unreasonable," she grumbled.

"When aren't they?" Kaelix said.

"Never, it seems. You should get going before-"

"Oy!" Weasley shouted down the corridor.

Too late.

"What were you talking to her for?" he demanded of Kaelix as he stomped up to them, "What did you take from her?"

Potter loomed just behind his shoulder, no longer attempting to stop his friend's verbal assault.

Kaelix rolled her eyes, "I didn't take anything, you buffoon."

"It's none of your business, Ron," Hermione said sharply.

"Like hell it isn't," he snapped.

"Ron!" Hermione chided.

"What's she asking you to do, Hermione? What's she dragging you into?" He was relentless.

"What do you think I'm doing, Weasley, blackmailing her into joining my cult? Asking her for a blood oath?" Kaelix offered.

"Could be, is that what you're up to?" he demanded.

Hermione's jaw fell slack, half open with no sound, she was at a loss for words.

Kaelix was smiling though, "Do you seriously not hear yourself?"

Potter finally chimed in, "It's a fair question, Williams."

She laughed which only served to increase the steam spewing out of Weasley's ears. "No, it's not," she said. "Didn't you learn anything from our chat the other day about asking questions that you shouldn't be?"

"I did actually," he said smugly, "and by my count, Hermione is our friend and we have a right to know what you're talking about."

Kaelix lifted her chin, refusing to back down, "I think that's actually up to her, don't you think."

Potter's lips twitched, he knew she was right even though he'd never admit it.

"Hermione, just tell us what she took from you," Weasley demanded again.

She looked to Kaelix. It seemed she wasn't going to tell them unless Kaelix gave her permission, but she also wasn't quite sure how to get them both out of this. But Kaelix had an idea.

She heaved an exaggerated sigh of defeat. "You were right, Weasley, it was a blood oath of sorts," she admitted.

His attention as well as Potter's and Hermione's snapped back to Kaelix.

"I knew it," Weasley said triumphantly.

Potter's mistrusting gaze narrowed on her. Obviously Weasley was too worked up to hear the absurdity in his own words, but how could Potter not see it either? Boys were so thick. She sent an apologetic look to Hermione, hoping she had some girl friends to balance out these two.

Kaelix looked Weasley dead in the eye and said, "I was asking her for a spell to replace tampons."

Hermione did a double take and for a split second Kaelix was afraid she'd embarrassed her but then saw her fighting back a grin.

Kaelix fought to keep her own face straight, the corner of her mouth threatening to twitch upward as all the color drained out of Weasley's face. She could have sworn that even his red hair dulled a bit. She glanced at Potter who was also looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Though he recovered enough to say something.

"Was that really necessary?" he asked.

"Of course not," Kaelix said innocently, "but you two were so insistent."

Weasley turned abruptly and walked away. Potter sent another disapproving glare her way before he set off after him.

"I can't believe you said that," Hermione gasped. "I think you broke him."

Kaelix laughed, "I'm sure he'll recover eventually, but that should keep him from asking too many questions. At least, for a few days."

"Until he obliviates the memory," Hermione said with a laugh. "The look on his face was priceless."

Kaelix enjoyed their moment of laughter together. Malfoy, Nott, and Zabini were good company, but it was nice to talk to a girl for once, a girl that wasn't Pansy anyway.

"I know you'll tell them eventually, and that's fine," said Kaelix. "I knew you would when I asked in the first place. But thanks for not giving it away right away."

"I know they can be a bit unreasonable, but they're really not so bad," she offered. "Although it did take a troll to convince me of that."

"I'm sorry, what?" Kaelix asked.

"I'll tell you on the way down to dinner," she motioned for Kaelix to walk with her.

* * *

After Hermione told Kaelix about the troll that nearly killed her in the girl's bathroom during her first year, Kaelix didn't feel like her and Malfoy's encounter with the murderous chess pieces was quite so out of the ordinary. The girls parted ways as they entered the Great Hall and Kaelix went to find her typical seat with Malfoy, Nott, and Zabini.

"What were you chatting with Granger about?" Malfoy asked casually as she took her seat.

"Nothing really, she was telling me about getting attacked by that troll during first year," she said.

"Oh, the one that came in through the dungeon," recalled Zabini.

"Yeah, and then they told us to go to our common rooms, without even thinking about it," said Nott.

"The entrance to our common room is in the dungeons," Malfoy supplied, sensing Kaelix's unspoken question.

"Fun," she said, scooping some potatoes onto her plate.

"Hey, Zabini, isn't Granger the girl you fancied first year?" asked Nott.

Kaelix perked up, "Really?"

"Sod off, Nott, that was before I knew," Zabini hissed.

"Knew what?" asked Kaelix.

"That she's a mudblood," said Malfoy.

The scoop of food he was raising slowed and halted for a brief moment when he realized what he'd said. He took the bite and chewed slowly, glancing sideways at Kaelix to gauge her reaction. Nott and Zabini didn't seem to notice. She had a feeling rehashing their conversation about blood status wasn't the best idea at the moment. Something told her she would be outnumbered. She worked her jaw a bit, deciding not to back down entirely. These three were idiots but they were too smart to keep believing this nonsense, and if no one else was going to tell them, then she would.

"I think she's lovely, and brilliant," said Kaelix, "but if you're more interested in some conceited, superficial, self absorbed girl who couldn't properly converse her way out of a paper bag just because she's got 'pureblood' or whatever, then by all means, spend your evenings contemplating cursing yourself to oblivion and back because they only thing you have in common is your great uncle."

"If you like her so much maybe you should date her?" Nott teased.

Kaelix smiled and took a bite of her potatoes. "Maybe I will."

Nott smiled back at her, a gleam in his eye. Zabini opened his mouth to say something but before he could a large dark owl landed directly in front of Kaelix on the table, and just nearly missed knocking over her water goblet.

"Watch yourself," she said to the bird. "That's my dinner you nearly landed in. Stupid bird. Go on and deliver your letter," she waved her hand to shoo the owl away from her food.

"I think it's for you," said Zabini.

"I highly doubt it," she said with certainty, not even checking the letter the owl carried.

"Is that not your owl?" asked Nott.

She shook her head, "I don't have an owl, I have a miniature troll and he doesn't deliver post."

"Well whose is it then?" Malfoy asked leaning forward to take the letter.

"Hold on, are we all going to ignore the fact that Williams just admitted to having a troll again?" Zabini asked.

"I have no idea," she said to Malfoy.

"Moony? Is that some kind of childhood nickname, Williams?" he snickered.

She snatched the letter from his grasp, "I don't think it's meant for me," she said, sending him a side eye glare.

She flipped it over and traced the neatly scripted name with her finger. It felt aged, though not nearly as aged as the letter to Michael O'Conner. She broke the seal.

"Williams, again?" gaped Malfoy.

"I don't know why you're surprised," was all she said in return as she skimmed the letter.

_How are you? I hope you're staying safe and that this letter finds you well… apologize again for the length of time since my last letter… I know the news in my last letter must have come as quite a shock…_

"This reads like it's the middle of an exchange," she muttered to herself.

_I haven't told Padfoot and I don't plan to…_

"What the hell is a Padfoot?" she wondered aloud.

"Language, Williams," Nott chastised her.

She made a face back at him. "This is definitely not for me. Hey," she addressed the owl still sitting in the middle of the table, "you've got the wrong person, this isn't for me."

The owl stared back at her and made a sort of whirring noise that sounded like a protest.

"I think he's arguing with you," said Zabini.

"He's still got something there in his talon," Nott added.

Malfoy gently retrieved the item and examined it briefly before passing it to Kaelix. It was a necklace, a simple silver chain with a small silver pendant hanging from it.

She shook her head, something didn't feel right, "This isn't meant for me, you have to take it-" she looked to where the owl had sat only a moment ago only to find he'd gone. "Where'd he go," she asked no one in particular, looking around for any trace of the owl, "he has to take it back-"

"Williams," said Malfoy.

"Bloody owl, delivered it to the wrong person-"

"Williams," he tried again.

"What am I supposed to do with-"

"Williams," he said more forcefully to gain her attention.

"What?" she snapped, turning to face him.

"It may not have been written to you, but I think the owl got it right when he delivered it to you," he pointed to the very bottom of the letter, a postscript that she hadn't noticed before.

Her jaw fell slack, the owl forgotten. She stared at the words written in a fine cursive hand, the same as the name on the front of the envelope, and her mind went blank. The room disappeared and the only thing that existing was that line of that letter.

_P.S. I named our daughter Kaelix._


	15. It's Nothing

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

Chapter 15: It's Nothing

_P.S. I named our daughter Kaelix._

Time slowed, the noise around her became a muffled blur. The world fell away piece by piece as she was held captive by the precisely inked lines that formed her name. All she could do was stare at that postscript. She was transfixed. Frozen in a half vacant state. She didn't move. She didn't blink. She was barely even breathing.

A dam broke somewhere in her mind and the questions flooded in. One after another, they were relentless, each vying for a foothold at the forefront of her thoughts. The first to succeed echoed through her mind, a single word with the force of a foghorn behind it;  _who?_

Who would have sent her this?

Her dazed gaze was drawn up, away from the letter toward the staff table. Her eyes settling immediately on the Old Man. Had it been him? She had always felt like he was lying when she'd asked him about her parents and he'd claimed he didn't know anything about who they were. But why send her this now, was he mocking her? What would taunting her this way accomplish? Why not just tell her what he knew outright? No, it hadn't been the Old Man that had sent this to her. It wasn't his style. She scanned down the staff table and found herself under the penetrating gaze of Professor Snape. The entirety of his focus was on her, wholly ignorant to whatever Professor Flitwick was saying next to him. He studied her with such an intense gaze that she wondered if he knew what she'd received, and if he did, was it because he'd been the one to send it? She blinked and in that instant he turned back to converse with his colleague.

She scanned the rest of the table hopelessly. She looked for Lupin, if only for a bit of familiar comfort, but he wasn't there. Another name floated to the forefront of her mind and part of her wondered why it hadn't been her very first thought; the Inn Man. The letter certainly wasn't Dumbledore's style, but the Inn Man had given her cryptically vague hints at things twice before, why not one more? But how did he know, and furthermore, how would he have gotten his hands on this letter? Unless. The idea hit her like a well placed punch to the gut. Unless he was Moony. Unless the Inn Man was her father.

Heat broke over her like a crashing wave. Closing her eyes she willed it to stop, she didn't need to deal with that right now. Not when she was was wrestling with the idea that she may have already met her father. She took a deep breath and looked back to the letter. The Inn Man couldn't be Moony, she told herself, he just couldn't. Because she would know, if she'd come face to face with her father some part of her would just know. Wouldn't she?

She read through the letter again. Who else would have sent it, who else would have any idea about her parents? She traced the curves over her name, felt the rough texture of the parchment. Her mother had written this to her father. She was holding parchment that they'd each held. There was a chance. Somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind she realized that her hands were shaking, or perhaps her whole body was. She couldn't tell. Her eyes stung and her lips twitched, fighting to curl up at the thought of her mother writing this letter.

And then the answer presented itself. Her breath caught as the thought entered her mind on it's own. It was a foolish thought to entertain, and yet, not entirely impossible. Her parents could be alive, they could be out there, exchanging letters, planning to meet up. Her mother had said she'd be in London on the first, the letter could be only a few weeks old. She should write to them, try to find them, track them down. They'd be in London on the first. She could go there to find them. She could meet them, talk to them, find out who they were and where they'd been all this time. In London, on the first.

An ice cold stone dropped to the pit of her stomach and jarred her entire being. Where in London? And the first of which month? She thought she might actually vomit from the force of it. Her world suddenly righted again with the realization, pulling her back from the quickly built fantasy.

The sound of her of her own breathing was deafening.

"Williams?" The voice sounded distant, muffled.

She was underwater, drowning in the incoherent noise surrounding her. She needed air.

"Williams?" His voice was clearer this time.

Her gut twisted and the world crashed back into focus around her.

She pushed her plate back, "I'm off, I'll see you tomorrow." She tried to school her features and keep any part of her from trembling.

"You didn't even eat," said Zabini as she stood up.

"I think you've had enough for the both of us," she snapped.

Heat crawled up her spine and she desperately wanted to step into a cold shower.

Nott laughed, "She's right, Zabini, if you keep this arrangement up you'll need new robes by Easter and Williams will have wilted away to nothing."

She shoved the letter and the necklace deep into her pocket, desperate to bury them and their untold secrets. Forget the cold shower, she'd walk straight into a snowbank to cool off right now.

"Why don't you keep your half-wit banter to yourself, Nott, unless it's asked for," she said, a bit harsher than she'd intended to.

"Williams, what in Merlin's name-" Malfoy started

"I have to go," she snapped and took off toward the entrance of the hall.

"Williams," Malfoy called, rising from his own seat to follow her.

She quickened her stride, not to outrun him but the tightness rising in her chest and the trembling that threatened to overtake her.

"Williams," he called again, ignoring the eyes that tracked him and the questions they held. She was through the doors and halfway across the entrance hall when he caught her arm and spun her around to face him. "What's going on?" he demanded, trying to catch her averted gaze.

"Nothing," she pulled her arm free of his grip, "I just- I have to go."

He grabbed her arm again, "Look at me, Williams, please."

She hesitated, part of her still reeling to get as far away from everyone and everything as possible, but another part of her wanted to stay right there, with his touch anchoring her in the tumultuous sea of emotions that she'd been thrown into. She looked up to meet his gaze and a cool wave swept over her, the waters stilled, the heat receded.

"Who sent that to you?" he asked, quiet but firmly.

Her breath threatened to catch, couldn't he see? "It doesn't matter, it's nothing," she said.

"It's nothing?" he said with a raised brow. "It's got you all out of sorts, it can't be nothing. Who sent it?"

"I don't know," her voice was small and she looked away.

He ducked his head to keep her gaze, "Williams-"

"It's nothing, okay?" she snapped back. "I don't know who sent it and it's nothing. Probably just a prank, or a joke, or something stupid like that."

"It's not nothing," he pressed.

"It is," she insisted.

"Williams-"

"You don't understand, it's nothing." She ripped the crumpled bit of parchment from her pocket and hastily unfolded it, "There's no real names, no real dates, no return or delivery address. This could have been written thirteen years ago and I'd have no way of knowing. The owl ran off. The necklace has nothing. It's all just…"

"Nothing," he supplied.

Her arms fell slack. "Yeah."

"You don't know who your parents are," it wasn't a question.

She shook her head, "I don't even know their names."

"And it's nothing," he indicated the letter still clutched in her hand.

"It's nothing," she confirmed.

"Are you sure there's-"

"Here," she held the letter out for him to take, "see for yourself."

He took the letter and examined it himself. His eyes scanning back and forth across the parchment, across her mother's intricate handwriting.

"Maybe there's a tracking spell or something…" she started.

He met her gaze again, his expression sad. She knew the answer already but it still punched her gut when he said it aloud, "If they didn't use their real names then I'm sure they warded it against any sort of tracking. We can take it to Professor Snape if you want but…"

She shook her head, "No, it's fine. It's probably just a joke anyway. I mean, what are the chances that a real letter from my mother just happened to get delivered to me by accident?"

His mouth opened to say something but then he hedged. His eyes flicked back to scan the letter again. "Are you so sure it was an accident?" he asked.

She rolled her shoulders as a shiver traced down her spine, "What do you mean?"

He ran a hand through his hair, tousling it a bit as his hand slipped down to rub his neck. He gave the smallest shake of his head. "I don't know, it just seems… I've never known an owl to mis-deliver a letter before. Maybe it-" he worked his jaw, reconsidering his words.

Her stomach churned. "Maybe it what?" she asked, as evenly as she could.

"Maybe the owl brought it to you because it couldn't deliver it where it was supposed to."

"It doesn't matter," she said.

"Of course it does," he said.

She shook her head, "We can come up with as many different scenarios and possibilities as you want but-" she sucked in a breath to steel herself against the impact of the words she'd told herself so many times already, "it's been thirteen years, if they'd wanted to be found, if they'd wanted-" she swallowed the lump in her throat and started again. "Guessing at what might have happened is pointless because I'm never going to find out, it was just never in the cards for me."

"Williams-"

"No, it's fine, I'm not- I don't want want to talk about it anymore. There's no point. I'll see you tomorrow." She set off up the stairs, taking them two at a time halfway up. This time Malfoy let her go.

Kaelix had been set on heading straight to Gryffindor tower when she'd left Malfoy in the entrance hall, but as she neared the seventh floor corridor the thought of being alone with the weight of that letter in her pocket was stifling. There was only one place she could think to go. So she'd turned on her heel and immediately course corrected to the only place she wanted to be.

Her sharp footsteps echoed as she walked swiftly down the familiar corridor to Professor Lupin's office. She wasn't sure if the warmth she felt was from the exertion of traipsing all over the castle or from her pooling magic, but she didn't much care at the moment. Against her better judgement she'd stopped more than once on her way there to reread the letter. Her head was spinning with questions and theories again and as hard as she tried to silence them, they just kept echoing through her mind. One thought reverberating louder than the rest; somewhere in the world, someone knew who her parents were and what had happened to them.

"Professor?" she called as she entered the classroom.

Silence.

"Professor?" she called again.

Still no answer. She rubbed both hands over her face, all too aware of the slight tremor in her hand and the shakiness of her breath.

"Remus?" she tried once more but it came out as a broken half whispered cry.

"Kaelix, what are you doing here?" he called from his office, appearing in the doorway, "we don't have a lesson this ev-" he stopped short, his gaze narrowing on her where she'd stopped part way across the room. Something flickered across his features and his tone had shifted when he spoke again. Her name a whisper of concern on his lips, "Kaelix?"

Her lip trembled and she silently cursed herself for ever thinking this was a good idea. She opened her mouth to speak but her voice refused to work and her jaw clamped shut again.

He was down the stairs and standing before her in an instant. His eyes sweeping over her. "What's the matter? What's happened?" he asked quietly.

She exhaled a low rattling breath, "I don't know." Her mouth was dry. "I just- I got this-" she dug in her robe pocket for the letter, happy to have something to do with her hands, something to keep them from just hanging limply at her side. She ran her fingers over the folds in the parchment, deepening the creases that had already formed there, the texture rough against her fingertips. Her mouth opened wordlessly and closed again. She unfolded the parchment, flattening out the creases as her eyes fluttered between the familiar script.

"Kaelix, what is it?" his voice cut through the fogginess in her mind.

"I don't know," the words rushed out before she could form another thought, "an owl delivered it this morning, I thought it was a mistake, that it was meant for someone else but then I saw the end and I guess I wasn't entirely wrong but I don't even know if it's real or ju-"

Lupin held up a hand, "Slow down, I don't understand, what does it say?"

She held the letter out between them, not trusting her own voice to read the contents aloud. Her hand trembled. Her cheeks flushed, she couldn't even hold the damn thing.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Please just read it. Please," she begged, unable to meet his gaze.

Cautiously, as if she might bolt at too sudden a movement, he took the parchment from her outstretched hand. He swallowed, his face a mixture of confusion and concern. She still couldn't meet his gaze, couldn't look up at him as his eyes widened at the sight of the first two words. She didn't catch the way he turned a shade paler as his eyes scanned the contents of the letter, the contents she had damn near memorized by now.

_Dear Moony,_

_How are you? I hope you're staying safe and that this letter finds you well._

_I find myself needing to apologize again for the length of time since I last wrote you. I find myself needing to apologize for a lot of things lately. Delayed letters, keeping secrets, disappearing… But apologies like that don't belong in letters, especially ones as intermittent as mine have been. I really do mean to write more often, but it can be difficult to find the right words. And as difficult as my last letter was, I'm afraid this one may be more challenging still._

_I know the news my last letter delivered must have come as quite a shock to you. I hope you can forgive me for having told you this way, I was afraid if I tried to tell you in person that I'd lose my nerve. I haven't told Padfoot and I don't plan to. Honestly, I don't see any reason for him to know. Given the circumstances, I fear it would only complicate things and benefit no one._

_Now that you know, I would like to talk with you about it, in person, if you're willing. I'd like to see you. I'll be in London on the 1st. You know where you can find me. It seems like someone from our old book club has been trying to get in touch with me, if you come you might just run into them so keep an eye out._

_I know I said this kind of apology doesn't belong in a letter, but just in case you don't come, I need you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the way that everything happened between you and me and the others. I'm sorry for lying to you, and for leaving the way I did. I wish I could fix it, I wish I could fix all of it. But I know that's not always enough, and I wouldn't blame you if I never heard from you again. But I hope I do. Please come. Please come to London. Please._

_I love you._

_Kitty_

_P.S. I named our daughter Kaelix._

She still wasn't looking at him when he reached the last line of the letter and wavered slightly on his feet. He reached out for the desk to his left and very nearly stumbled before leaning against it.

"Where did you say got this?" he asked in a low voice.

"Just now. An owl, at dinner," she said.

"From who? Who sent the owl?" a bit of demand rose in his voice.

She shook her head fighting back tears of frustration. "I don't know," she snapped, closing her eyes tight against the thought that she never would. "It's probably not real anyway, it's probably just a joke, right?"

He didn't respond immediately. The silence stretched on so long that she chanced a glance up at him. The paleness in his face caught her by surprise, he looked just as shocked by the letter as she felt. His eyes were darting back and forth across the parchment still, rereading the words again as she had done several times herself.

Against her better judgement she asked, "Is there any sort of spell you can do to find out who wrote it or where it came from? A charm or a potion? Anything to figure out if it's even real?"

"Kaelix, I-" he stopped at the sound of footsteps in the corridor behind her.

"Professor, there you are," he said from the doorway.

Kaelix sucked in a tense breath, she'd recognize that voice anywhere. It was Potter. The room warmed, her face flushing. He was the last person she wanted to know anything about this.

"I thought we were meeting in the…" he trailed off.

She hadn't turned toward him so she couldn't tell why he hadn't finished his thought, but she would swear she could feel his suspicious gaze eyeing her from behind. The nerve that boy had.

"We were, Harry, I'm sorry. I'm afraid something's come up, we'll have to reschedule-" Lupin said.

"No, it's fine," Kaelix jumped in, snatching the letter back from Lupin before he had a chance to regain his bearings. She stuffed it deep into her pocket, "This is nothing. Don't reschedule on my account."

"Kaelix," said Lupin.

But she couldn't meet his gaze. She was in the way, they'd had a meeting scheduled. She turned on her heel and made for the exit, dreading that she had to pass Potter to get there.

"Kaelix, wait, please," Lupin tried again.

"No, really, it's nothing," she said over her shoulder as she brushed past Potter with as much nonchalance as she could muster. "Carry on," with that she was out the door and down the corridor.

She tried to take a steadying breath but sobs threatened to hitch it in her throat. Speculatory thoughts about what Potter and Lupin could be meeting about crept into her mind. Her stomach churned at the prospects. She cursed herself again for ever thinking it was a good idea to show him the letter, for thinking he'd care. He obviously had more important things to deal with, without her asking him to debunk practical jokes. He didn't have time for that, for her. She broke into a run and put as much distance between herself and that classroom as possible, leaving ghostly footprints in her wake.

* * *

He walked swiftly down the corridor, each sharp echoing step stoking the fire of his burning temper. His mind had fully stopped when he'd seen his old nickname at the top of that letter, in her handwriting. Then Kaelix had asked if there was any way to find out who wrote it and he'd snapped back to the present. His mind immediately racing with questions, the foremost of which was how did he tell her? How did he tell her that there wasn't a spell or potion or charm that could track down the person who had written that letter, but moreover that it didn't matter. Because he already knew. He'd know that handwriting anywhere, a hundred years from now he'd still be able to pick it out of thousands. And when he'd seen it, for a moment he'd forgotten where he was, forgotten  _when_  he was. The disorienting deja vu had enveloped his senses and sent him back thirteen years and farther.

After Kaelix had fled from his classroom, he had apologetically dismissed Harry with the promise of making it up to him the following evening. Thankfully Harry had agreed without protest, despite already having waited until after the holidays to start his dementor lessons. Though he had a feeling that part of Harry's willingness to postpone was due to the boy's own curiosity about what had brought Kaelix to Remus' office that evening. But Remus couldn't be bothered to dwell on that particular curiosity at the moment, for the same reason he wouldn't have been able to concentrate on Harry's lesson; Dumbledore.

He fumed as he approached the entrance to the Headmaster's office and barked the password at the stone gargoyle that jumped to life to reveal the spiral stair. As he climbed each step he tried to reason with his growing rage, but no matter what reasoning he tried he kept coming back to his initial suspicion. Dumbledore had been the one who sent that letter to Kaelix, Dumbledore had been the one who kept it all these years, Dumbledore had known  _all these years_. And Remus wanted to know why.

He knocked harshly against the old oak door, opting to ignore the golden knocker. After a brief moment he heard a faint 'come in' from the other side of the door. With a deep breath to master himself, he entered the room and closed the door behind him far softer than he felt was warranted.

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk with a book. He lowered it and looked to Remus with a warm smile, "Good evening, Remus. What brings you here?"

"Did you know when you asked me to tutor her?" he demanded, foregoing pleasantries.

Dumbledore's brow furrowed over his half moon spectacles, "I presume you're referring to Kaelix?"

"You haven't asked me to tutor anyone else, have you?" Remus replied shortly from where he remained near the door.

His keen blue eyes didn't miss the irritation in Remus' posture. "Not that I am aware of," he said, placing his book down on his desk and folding his hands across his lap. "Please, take a seat-"

"Did you know?" he demanded again.

"Know what?" he asked evenly.

Remus scoffed, "You know exactly what."

"I assure you I don't." He adjusted the spectacles on the bridge of his nose with an infuriating air of nonchalance. "You could be referring to any number of things and I would rather not guess as you seem somewhat upset at the moment."

Remus stalked to the headmaster's desk and leaned over with a barely restrained growl, "Don't patronize me, Albus. Stop pretending that you don't know what I'm talking about and answer the damn question."

Dumbledore held his gaze without wavering, but Remus could see the wheels turning, the stories he was spinning behind those sapphire eyes. He knew exactly what realization had brough Remus here and he was trying to find a way to side step it. Remus didn't know what was more infuriating, the fact that he'd known and hidden it from him, or the idea that he could somehow still backpedal his way out of this.

"Yes," he said, dropping his gaze. "The answer to your question is yes."

Even though it was the answer he'd been expecting, the confirmation still hit Remus like a physical blow. He nearly stumbled backward in a slight daze. He'd been right. The last thing he wanted to do was sit down and have a civil conversation with Dumbledore over this, but his knees felt damn near buckling so he dropped into an armchair before gravity had it's way with him.

"How long have you known?" he managed to ask, his voice surprisingly neutral, almost calm.

Dumbledore considered him before answering, "Several years."

Remus pressed his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose. "Before or after Sirius killed Katherine?" he asked, an edge creeping back into his voice.

"Just after."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he hissed.

Dumbledore blinked and said quietly, "You had already lost a great deal that day, I didn't wish to add anything more to that."

Remus scoffed and rubbed his jaw. "That's how you justify doing what was easiest for you? And what about when she turned up here, you didn't think to tell me then?"

"I thought you'd figure it out on your own. I am surprised it took you this long," he said. "I had expected you would show up in my office asking questions as soon as you saw her."

"So that's it then? If I hadn't shown up, you never would have told me?"

Something in the old man's gaze shifted and it was as good as a solid 'yes', but instead he asked, "How did you finally figure it out?"

"I didn't," Remus admitted. "Katherine told me. You should have known that Kaelix wouldn't keep that letter to herself."

"What letter?" asked Dumbledore.

Remus didn't miss the way his gaze narrowed ever so slightly.

"The one her mother wrote to me," he snapped, "the one I never received, the one that was mysteriously delivered to Kaelix earlier this evening, the one I assume you got your hands on and kept hidden from me after she died. A fact which you didn't even have the decency to tell me, I had to find out from a prophet clipping her daughter dug up." His voice faltered.

"I can assure you, Remus, I was not aware that such a letter existed," said Dumbledore.

Remus' jaw clenched, "Bullshit." He stood abruptly and turned away from the headmaster.

"Even if I had been aware of it," he said, his voice level despite Remus' exclamation, "I certainly wouldn't have delivered it to Kaelix. I'd hoped she wouldn't find out just yet."

Forcing his breathing to stay somewhat even, he said, "She didn't." His arms hung limply at his sides, "We didn't use our real names in case the letters were ever intercepted. We were careful with details, to anyone else the letter would be meaningless. But those precautions were not taken to help you hide the identity of her own parents from her."

"Will you tell her?" he ventured.

"You expect me not to?" he asked, turning back to face him once more. "She thinks her parents abandoned her, that they didn't want her. She deserves to know that's not true."

"One of life's many tragedies is that we do not always get what we deserve. I'm afraid some things are more important than her knowing the truth about her parents," he said.

He restrained an involuntary eye roll. "Like what? What could possibly be more important than telling her the truth?"

Dumbledore hesitated for a moment as if weighing the cost of telling him. "Her safety," was all he said.

Remus faltered briefly and nearly stuttered when he spoke, "How could this information jeopardize her safety?"

"It is not this information alone that would jeopardize her," he said, considering each word before he said it.

Remus opened his mouth to emit a sharp retort that he hadn't quite settled on but stopped before any sound escaped his lips. His eyes narrowed on the Headmaster, scrutinizing the implication that hung between his words. "What's really going on, Albus?"

Dumbledore glanced around his office, his gaze lingering for a brief moment on one of the slumbering portraits hanging on the wall. "The fewer people that know, the safer she will be."

"You've already said she's in danger, I rather think I should know what all this is about so I can protect her should the need arise," he growled.

"As long as what you've learned doesn't leave this room, I assure you the need shouldn't arise."

"Forgive me but your baseless assurances don't mean much at the moment," he said, pacing to the other side of the office.

"The only two people who know who she is are inside this room," said Dumbledore, his sapphire gaze following Remus.

"Are you certain of that?" he snapped as he turned to stalk back across the office. "Because someone sent her that letter and if it wasn't you then I think someone else, someone outside this room certainly does know. And you have no idea who it is."

"As you said, you didn't use your real names," he said, absently adjusting the folds of his robes. "There's no reason to believe that the person who sent her the letter would know who wrote it."

The all too familiar weight settled heavier between Remus' shoulders; there was one person who would know without hesitation the identity behind each name in the letter. The ire that had risen so swiftly in him at the sight of the letter fizzled with wave of guilt. Dumbledore wasn't the only one in this room keeping secrets. It burned in his chest, the knowledge he kept there to save himself from the shame. Despite the potential advantage it gave Sirius, he couldn't bring himself to admit what they'd done, what he'd done. Kaelix's distraught expression flashed through his mind and the burning in his chest transformed into a fiery rage once more.

"This danger you're trying to save her from," he ground out, "it wouldn't have anything to do with Michael O'Conner or Alexandra Fuhrman, would it?"

Dumbledore's critical gaze studied him, showing no sign of surprise that Remus knew those names nor any sign that he himself recognized them. Opting instead to say, "Why would you ask that?"

"Because she has been, twice now. Does that work into whatever plan you've concocted?" he asked, gesturing around as he crossed the room again.

"How much does she know?" was his half whispered reply.

"Are you going to give me a straight answer to  _anything?_ " Remus snapped.

Dumbledore didn't respond.

Remus took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck before continuing, "More than you want her to. She's suspicious and… a little afraid, I think. Though I suppose that doesn't matter, does it?"

"Sometimes fear of the unknown is better than knowing what you fear," said Dumbledore, eyes slightly vacant.

Remus shook his head and gripped the back of the nearest chair with white knuckles. "Stop trying to justify what you're doing, she deserves better than this."

"You're right, she does," he admitted. "But there's more at play here than you realize. There are some things she's better off not knowing, some things you're both better off not knowing."

"That's not for you to decide," he growled. "Where has she been all these years?"

"Somewhere safe," was all he said.

Remus knew that's all he'd get in that regard, he knew it was foolish to press for more but he couldn't help asking. "Did you stop her letter two years ago? Were you trying to keep her away from... here?"

He adjusted in his seat, resting his elbows on the arms of his chair. "I did not try to keep her away. Though I had hoped it might play out that way, it seems fate had other plans."

"You really weren't ever going to tell me."

Dumbledore's gaze dropped momentarily and he seemed to shrink somehow. It was the first time Remus could ever remember the Headmaster feeling small. But he didn't have the patience to give a damn at the moment.

"It's all connected, isn't it? Her letter, the wands, her parents, the disappearances, and whatever you're claiming to protect her from? That's why you don't want to tell her even one small piece of it?"

He only nodded in confirmation.

Remus sighed, "You do realize it's only a matter of time before she finds out more on her own, you're lying to yourself if you think she won't."

"I have no doubt that her resourcefulness will only improve with age," Dumbledore said, a small smile tugging at one corner of his mouth.

"So why not just tell her now? Surely that's safer than her stumbling across bits and pieces on her own?" Remus asked.

"Because I'm afraid time may be our only ally in this."

"What does that mean, Albus?"

"It means," he said slowly, contemplating just how much he was willing to divulge, "that telling her everything would be a death sentence, and the only way to stay that sentence is to prevent her from learning everything for as long as possible."

The world tilted out from beneath Remus' feet and he reached for the chair again to remain upright. His stomach clenched. "What-" He couldn't get his mouth around the words. "What do you mean a death sentence?"

"Exactly as I said," Dumbledore said quietly, "if Kaelix learns certain information it would lead to her untimely death. The only way to prevent that, is to keep that information from her,"

"Who would-" realization swept over him like a wave. "Alexandra and Michael?"

He gave a small nod, "I believe so. Though I cannot be certain."

Remus was shaking his head, "There has to be another way, what happens if she finds out on her own? You said yourself she's resourceful, what happens then?"

"I don't know yet," he admitted.

"So that's your plan?" he snapped. "To just, delay the inevitable for as long as possible?"

"I hope to have something else figured out by then," was all he offered.

"You hope?" Remus said, " _You hope?_  If all you have is hope then why- why did you bring her here? If just her parents, hell even just her wand could lead to information that will get her killed then why didn't you keep her as far away from here as possible?" he demanded.

"She was in danger either way, Remus. You must know that I have done and am continuing to do what I think is best."

"Well it's not bloody good enough," he shouted, gripping the back of the chair harder and slamming it down before walking swiftly from the room.

* * *

Kaelix entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with her hands wringing deep within her pockets. She'd waited until the last possible minute to leave Gryffindor Tower for her lesson, after yesterday evening she wasn't looking forward to seeing Lupin again. She desperately wanted to forget about the letter and the necklace and any hope that they'd raised about the possibility of finding her parents. And she especially wanted to forget the embarrassing display she'd put on in the middle of his classroom last evening. She prayed Lupin wouldn't even bring it up but knew that was unlikely. She was so desperate to avoid revisiting the topic that she'd briefly entertained the idea of not showing up, but quickly dismissed the idea as he was likely to hunt her down and lecture her if she skipped entirely. So here she was, standing just inside the classroom, delaying the inevitable. She hesitated so long that she was five minutes late by now.

With a deep breath she crossed the classroom and entered his office before she could talk herself out of it again. She clenched her fists in her pockets to keep her hands from shaking, immediately wanting to be anywhere else but here. Was it too hot in here or too cold, she couldn't tell, it was uncomfortable.

Lupin looked up from his desk and gave her a hesitant smile, "Good evening, Kaelix."

She gave a half hearted smile and nodded in return. A moment of silence passed between them, Kaelix wondered if it felt as awkward to him as it did to her.

"About yesterday," he began.

She shook her head, "Please.. I don't want to talk about it. It was nothing, I just want to forget the whole thing." She swallowed and examined a small fraying edge of the rug under his desk, hoping he'd just let the topic dissolve.

He struggled for a moment or two, torn between wanting to pursue the topic and wanting to respect her request not to. Kaelix's hands were still wringing in her pockets as he stood and moved around his desk to face her.

"I thought we'd start with engorgio and reducio today, and then move on to transfiguration after that," he said.

Kaelix loosed a sign of relief and flashed a brief smile of gratitude at him.

He gave her an easy smile back. "If you change your mind, at any point, I'll be here," he said. Then without waiting for a response, he moved back around his desk and dove straight into her lesson.

The practice was a welcome distraction for her, anything to keep her mind busy. Professor Lupin had her trying to reduce and enlarge various objects around his office in differing increments. Charms had always come fairly easy to her, but they were nearly effortless now. The subtle changes in temperature as she wielded her magic had become so second nature to her that she hardly noticed them on these simpler spells anymore.

After a time they moved on to the transfiguration spell of the week, scribblifors, which would turn nearly any object into a quill. Kaelix still found transfiguration spells a bit more difficult, but she'd learned that if she allowed the warmth of her magic to pool ever so slightly before she cast the spell it had a much higher success rate.

"You've really gotten the hang of transfiguration lately. You're getting these much quicker than some of the first spells we tried last year," he said after she successfully turned a book into a quill.

"I think I've got a better feel for it now," she said as she examined her work, dabbing the quill in Lupin's open inkpot and scribbling a few lines on whatever parchment he'd left on his desk.

He swatted her hand, "That's someone's homework you're vandalizing."

"Decorating," she corrected with a sly smile as she ducked his hand and scribbled a few more lines.

Lupin rolled his eyes, "Do you want to have one more go?" he glanced at the clock, "I think we've still got time."

But before she could answer, she heard footsteps crossing the classroom. As they drew closer she almost recognized them before he spoke, although it was probably more of a lucky guess.

"Professor," greeted Potter as he came to a stop at the threshold.

"Good evening, Harry. Kaelix and I have almost finished up. Why don't you go ahead to the History of Magic classroom and I'll catch up in a few minutes? That is," he paused, turning his attention back to Kaelix, "unless you'd like to have another go at a boggart?"

Caught a bit off guard by his question, she flashed back to that first day of Defense class when a boy materialized in front of a crowd of indistinguishable faces, all of them whispering about her. Their quiet accusations and demands running together into a dull hum of agitation behind the boy.

Her surroundings fell away as she was pulled back into the memory. The mass of hazy faces whispering, demanding over and over again. The boy's words echoing through her mind,  _how could you?_ Her heartbeat quickened and she could almost feel the heat from the flames that had erupted at his feet.

"Kaelix?" Professor Lupin's voice snapped her back to the present.

"I don't want to intrude," was her knee jerk response. Though she couldn't entirely deny that she was curious about what Potter was doing here.

"I don't mind," said Potter.

She bit back a sharp retort, of course he didn't mind. He would see it as another opportunity to be nosy, another opportunity to insert himself into her personal business. But as annoying as the thought of Potter observing her was, she couldn't deny the curiosity that nagged at her mind. Would the boggart show the same thing again? And if it did, why was it choosing to show her that? Something she couldn't possibly be afraid of? And moreover, if Potter wanted to be nosy with her then she'd be nosy right back.

"Alright, I'll have another go," she agreed.

"Excellent," said Lupin, rising from his seat with a barely discernible wince. He collected a large packing case from the corner of his office and motioned for both of them to follow as he left the room.

"What's that?" asked Potter.

"Never seen a packing case before, Potter?" she teased.

"I meant what's in it?" he shot at her.

"That's not what you asked," she shot back.

"It's another boggart," said Professor Lupin, glancing over his shoulder at the pair of them with mild irritation. "I've been combing the castle since Tuesday, and luckily, I found this one lurking inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. I'm afraid it's the nearest we'll get to a real dementor. The boggart will turn into a dementor when he sees Harry, so he'll be able to practice. I can store him in my office when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like very much."

It made sense that Potter's boggart was a dementor, knowing that he'd fainted twice already in the presence of one. A shiver ran down Kaelix's spine, she wasn't keen on seeing one of them up close again either, boggart manifested or otherwise.

"Okay," said Potter as they entered the dark empty classroom, a bit of apprehension in his voice.

"We couldn't do this in your own classroom?" Kaelix asked looking around.

"I thought it safer to put a bit of space between us and my office. Should a spell go awry I wouldn't want to accidentally free that Grindylow, or anything else I have stashed away in my office," he said.

"Fair point," she said, then her brow furrowed, "wait, what else do you have stashed in your office?"

Lupin only flashed her a grin and heaved the case onto Professor Binn's desk. Retrieving his wand, he waved Kaelix off to the side of the room and indicated that Potter should retrieve his wand as well. "The spell I am going to try to teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry-well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?" asked Potter.

"Well, when it works correctly, it conjures up a Patronus," said Lupin, "which is a kind of anti-dementor-a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the dementor."

Kaelix recalled the silver mist that had formed between her and the dementor on the train, the way it had lit up her fingertips as well. She rolled her shoulders as a shiver travelled down her spine. "Is it silver?" she asked.

She felt Potter's gaze shift to her but refused to give him the satisfaction of meeting it. Surely he was wondering how she would know such a thing, as if the knowledge could only be gained through untrustworthy means rather than one of their textbooks. The boy really was too suspicious.

"It is indeed," said Lupin. "Have you seen one before?"

She nodded, "At least, I think so. It wasn't really any sort of shape, just a silvery mist sort of hanging there. But the dementor wasn't fond of it."

Professor Lupin was nodding and thankfully didn't ask  _where_ she'd seen it, "That tends to happen in early stages of learning the charm. Each Patronus is unique to the wizard who conjures it but if the wizard isn't proficient enough then the shape may be vague or formless."

"How does it fight the dementors?" Potter asked.

"The Patronus is a kind of positive force," said Lupin, leaning against the desk, "a projection of the very things that the dementor feeds upon - hope, happiness, the desire to survive - but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you, Harry, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."

"How do you conjure it?" Potter persisted.

"With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory. The strength of the memory is key to the charm so try to think of your happiest memory," said Lupin.

Silence filled the classroom for a moment while Potter racked his brain for a happy memory. He seemed to struggle for a moment before turning back to Lupin. "Right," he said.

"The incantation is this -" Lupin cleared his throat. " _Expecto patronum!"_

" _Expecto patronum,"_  Potter repeated under his breath, " _expecto patronum."_

"Concentrating hard on your happy memory?" Lupin asked.

"Oh - yeah -" said Potter. " _Expecto patrono_  - no,  _patronum_  - sorry -  _expecto patronum, expecto patronum-"_

Kaelix almost didn't recognize him for a moment, with his focus on nothing other than casting the charm he was no longer the annoying nosy prat she'd come to know, instead a diligent student stood before her.

Something whooshed suddenly out of the end of his wand; it looked like wisp of silvery gas.

"Did you see that?" said Potter all too excitedly. "Something happened!"

Kaelix snorted. Potter shot her a glare, all signs of the diligent student disappeared.

"Very good," said Lupin, choosing to ignore Kaelix. "Right, then - ready to try it on a dementor?"

"Yes," said Potter with a pointed look toward her.

She made a face back at him.

"Kaelix," Lupin said, gesturing her to move farther off to the side.

She obliged, giving the boggart a clear path to Potter to ensure it took the right form. Lupin grasped the lid of the packing case and pulled.

A dementor rose slowly from the box, its hooded face turned toward Potter, one glistening scabbed hand gripping its cloak. The lamps around the room flickered and went out. The dementor stepped from the box and started to sweep silently toward Potter, drawing a deep rattling breath as it went. A penetrating cold swept through the room. The hair on the back of Kaelix's neck rose and she sensed sooner than heard the screaming in the distance. It was muffled again but familiar enough that she knew exactly what it was. Despite being only a replica of a real dementor, the effect it was having certainly didn't  _feel_  like a replica. A shiver went down her spine.

Sweat lined Potter's brow already and his face had gone deathly pale. She watched as the boggart-dementor drew nearer to him and he swallowed hard. She flinched at the sound of a sharp explosion and mentally cursed Potter for his hesitation. If Potter didn't produce this patronus-guardian-charm thing soon, she might just step in and do it for him. But now his arm was shaking and she wondered if he would even be able to attempt the spell before he fell to the floor let alone cast a successful incantation.

" _Expecto patronum!"_  Potter yelled. " _Expecto patronum! Expecto-"_

His voice faltered, his wand arm sank, and he fell to the floor. Kaelix would have been more concerned if he hadn't already passed out twice before, once a much greater distance from the ground.

" _Riddikulus,"_  Lupin sent the boggart back into the case with a wave of his wand and then he was over to Potter in an instant. "Harry!"

Kaelix watched Potter jerk back to life from where he lay flat on the floor. His eyes did a quick sweep of the room.

"Sorry," he muttered, knowing what must have happened.

"Are you alright?" asked Lupin.

"Yes…" he pulled himself up on one of the desks and leaned against it.

Kaelix caught his eyes for a brief moment before he looked away again. His cheeks were flushed and she wasn't sure if it was from exertion or embarrassment, perhaps a bit of both. He had clearly expected that to go better than it had.

"Here-" Lupin handed Potter a chocolate Frog. "Eat this before we try again. I didn't expect you to do it your first time; in fact, I would have been astounded if you had."

"It's getting worse," Potter muttered, biting off the Frog's head. "I could hear her louder that time - and him - Voldemort -" He was speaking quietly and turned away from her; the hypocrite didn't want her to overhear.

Kaelix's brow furrowed, wondering what memory the dementor stirred in him.

Lupin seemed to go a shade paler than normal, even for him.

"Harry, if you don't want to continue, I will more than understand -"

"I do!" he practically growled, stuffing the rest of the Chocolate Frog into his mouth. "I've got to! What if the dementors turn up at our match against Ravenclaw?" I can't afford to fall off again. If we lose this game we've lost the Quidditch Cup!"

"All right then... ," said Lupin. "You might want to select another memory, a happy memory, I mean, to concentrate on… That one doesn't seem to have been strong enough…"

As Potter contemplated another happy memory, Kaelix pondered what memory she might use to conjure a Patronus. A strong happy memory, did she even have any of those? She reached back into the depths of her memory and remembered a time she'd been blissfully happy. A smiled turned up the corners of her mouth at the thought, but then she frowned. Anything she once considered a happy memory had been ruined, tainted by the fire. She shook her head to bury the memories once more, besides she'd already produced a Patronus, albeit a formless mass, it was enough to drive off a dementor, and a  _real_  dementor at that.

"Maybe don't wait until the thing is on top of you this time?" Kaelix offered with a smirk.

"Kaelix," Lupin scolded.

Her smirk fell.

"I'm sure you could do better," Potter shot an icy glare her way.

Lupin cleared his throat looking slightly annoyed by their bickering, "Ready?" he said to Potter, gripping the case lid once more.

"Ready," said Potter.

"Go!" said Lupin, pulling off the lid. The room was icy in an instant and the candles were out just as fast. It happened quicker this time, the boggart-dementor rose from the case and moved toward Potter. Fortunately he moved faster this time as well, raising his wand just as soon as the dementor had formed.

" _Expecto patronum!"_  Potter yelled. " _Expecto patronum! Expecto pat-"_

He wavered and collapsed to the floor. Once again Lupin cursed the boggart back into the case and moved to Potter's side.

"Harry! Harry… wake up…" he shook Potter a bit and tapped his face before he came to.

This time his face registered a quick bit of confusion as he glanced about at his surroundings before realizing where he was. He pulled himself up and immediately bent forward, pretending to tie his shoes. It was an attempt to conceal the tears he hurried to wipe away, but Kaelix had seen the silver lining his eyes before he'd even risen. She looked away, suddenly feeling like she shouldn't be there, whether Potter said it was okay or not.

"Perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. This charm is ridiculously advanced…" Lupin said gently, "I shouldn't have even suggested putting you through this…"

"No!" Potter insisted, "I'll have another go at it. I'm just not thinking of a happy enough memory, that's all. Just, hang on…"

Kaelix had to hand it to him, two attempts landing flat on your back would have put many off trying again.

"Well, why don't you at least step back and take a quick break while Kaelix has a go at the boggart, hmm?" said Lupin.

Potter reluctantly nodded and stepped aside, still not meeting her gaze or even looking in her direction. It was such an odd shift in demeanor, to not see his critical gaze scrutinizing her every move. She stepped forward, nearly to where Potter had just stood, and face the case. This would be easy enough, she told herself, she knew what was coming this time. She knew what to do, it would be simple.

"Ready, Kaelix?" Lupin prompted.

She nodded and Professor Lupin pulled back the case lid once again. But this time it wasn't a dementor that rose from its depths. A small blonde boy with piercing eyes climbed out of the case and faced her. His eyes narrowed accusingly.

"How could you?" the boggart-boy said quietly.

It was a stark contrast to the chaotic shouting that accompanied him in her dreams.

"How could you?" he demanded a bit louder.

But she had no intention of answering him. Flourishing her wand, she shouted, " _Riddikulus!"_

There was a small 'pop' and the boggart shifted forms, but the new one was even less amusing than the first.

His skin was pale, his body was bruised, beaten, and burned. He was slumped on the ground much like she remembered seeing him that night. She was frozen, paralyzed by a deja vu induced fear that sent her heart beat into her throat. Her breathing was shallow as the memory of his voice assaulted her ears, so fresh after the boggart-dementor. Each word echoing clearly through her mind as if the fire had permanently burned them into her memory.

_You think you can go about doing whatever you please, you worthless piece of filth._

Her memory of the fire was so vivid she could feel the heat on her skin as warm as it had been that day.

_You think you're special, don't you? You think you deserve to live in this house, to be a part of this family?_

Somewhere in her peripheral she was aware of Potter saying something, but she couldn't tell what.

_How dare you speak to me that way, you ungrateful little bitch._

"Stop it, please stop it!" she shouted aloud without even realizing it.

A wave of energy shot out from her toward the boggart as if a physical manifestation of her shout. The boggart boy was blown backward into the desk and stumbled to the ground in a disoriented daze. Then Professor Lupin was there, stepping between her and the boggart.

" _Riddikulus!"_  she heard his muffled shout above the chaos in her mind.

She barely registered Professor Lupin wrestling the boggart back into the trunk.

"Kaelix, it's gone. The boggart's gone," he said, though his voice still sounded distant, as if they weren't in the same room. "Kaelix," he said again, grabbing one of her wrists to pull her hands away from her ears.

When had she covered her ears? She removed her other hand and blinked her eyes open, keeping her gaze toward the floor. So much for simple, she thought. Something shifted to her right and she nearly jumped before remembering Potter was there. She groaned just thinking of the questions he would ask about this. Though after his own two failed attempts, she supposed they were about even.

"Kaelix?" Lupin said again, releasing her arm.

"I'm fine," she grumbled, more frustrated with her performance than anything else.

It was supposed to be easy. Riddikulus. It was a single word charm, a quick flick of the wrist and the boggart should be a stumbling mess. But instead of turning into a likeness of Potter tripping over his own feet, the boggart had simply shifted into a different version of the same thing. She took another breath before looking up to Lupin. She blinked at the hard gaze he fixed her with, concern etching his features.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She couldn't help the eye roll, "Yes, I'm sure. Look," she held out her arms and spun around, "all in one piece."

"Yes, I can see that," he said, though he didn't sound convinced. "Maybe that's enough for one night, for the both of you," he gave Potter a pointed look as well.

"I don't think it's working right for me," she said.

"What do you mean?" asked Lupin.

"It's supposed to show you your worst fear, right?" Lupin nodded, "Then it's not working. I don't know how to make an injured boy funny, but I know I'm not afraid of that… thing," she gestured toward the packing case.

His brow furrowed and he drew his arms across his chest, "Do you know the boy?"

"I used to, but... I haven't seen him in years." She wasn't sure why she was skirting the truth when she'd already told Potter.

"Was there ever a time when he frightened you?" Lupin mused.

Kaelix pursed her lips and shook her head. Keenly aware of Potter's hovering presence at the edge of her vision. God, had she been this annoying when he was the one in the center of the room?

"Or it could be that you're afraid of something happening to him?" Lupin suggested.

"He's dead," she said quietly.

"Oh," Lupin blinked and quickly tried to recover from his surprise. "I'm sorry, Kaelix."

"It's fine," she said, "I'm fine. I just- I don't understand why it thinks I'm afraid of that."

Lupin gave the smallest of nods and his eyes grew vacant. A moment of silence passed between them and Kaelix cursed herself for the awkwardness.

"Can I have one more go?" Potter asked, "at the boggart?"

Lupin's attention snapped back over to him and conceded, "One more. Then we'll call it an evening for both of you."

Potter nodded and Kaelix was grateful for the excuse to move off to the side to observe once more. He stepped into place and faced the case with a look of utter determination.

"Ready?" said Lupin, who looked as though he didn't want to open the case again. "Concentrating hard? Alright- go!"

He pulled the case open for the fourth and final time, and the dementor rose out of it; the room temperature instantly dropped to a dangerous level. This time Potter didn't hesitate even for a moment as if sheer force of will and determination would grant him a successful patronus charm.

" _EXPECTO PATRONUM!"_ he yelled. " _EXPECTO PATRONUM! EXPECTO PATRONUM!"_

Kaelix could hear the muffled screams and the explosion but they sounded more distant still and wavered. The boggart-dementor hesitated. Then a huge, silver shadow burst from the end of Potter's wand and hovered between him and the dementor. Potter was still standing this time when Lupin jumped between him and the boggart.

" _Riddikulus!"_  shouted Professor Lupin.

There was a loud crack. Potter's wispy cloud of a Patronus disappeared as did the dementor. Potter sunk back into a chair, but he managed to remain conscious. Lupin wrestled the boggart back into the packing case for the last time that evening; it had returned to the same silvery orb from their first class, which Kaelix now recognized as the full moon.

"Excellent!" Lupin said, striding over to where Potter sat. "Excellent, Harry! That was definitely a start!"

Kaelix's stomach churned.

"Can we have another go? Just one more go?" Potter pleaded.

"Not now," said Lupin firmly. "You've had enough for one night. Both of you," he glanced toward Kaelix. "Here-"

He handed Potter a large bar of Honeydukes' best chocolate. "Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood. Same time next week as we had originally planned. I'll see you at our next lesson," he added to Kaelix.

Potter nodded as he took a bite of chocolate and rose from the desk. Lupin set about extinguishing the lamps and gathering up the packing case. "You two best be on your way, it's getting late. I trust you will stick together on your way back to Gryffindor Tower," he said, looking to each of them in turn.

They both nodded and bade Lupin farewell before heading off. The distance from the History of Magic classroom to Gryffindor Tower had never seemed so daunting. After the way their last conversation ended, Kaelix had no desire to engage in anything short of an apology from Potter. And judging by his attitude during the past half hour, the stubborn git had never been farther from giving her one. They walked in near silence for a few minutes, traversing the empty corridors with only their own footfalls echoing up and down the stone walls.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Kaelix scoffed, not bothering to entertain any sincerity in his words. "For what, being a nosy prick or an insensitive git?"

"Both I guess," he said with a shrug.

She stopped dead and looked around the corridor.

He stuttered to a halt as well, glancing back at her. "What?" he said.

"Nothing," she said with a small shake of her head, "I just want to remember exactly where and when it was that you admitted you were wrong."

A smirk tugged at his lips, "Don't enjoy it too much, I might take it back."

"Too late, take backs aren't allowed."

"Fair enough," he said with a small laugh. "Do you accept?"

She considered him for a moment. "I don't know yet," she said, starting down the corridor once more.

Potter fell into step beside her and she could tell he was wrestling with something else.

"I can hear my parents being murdered," he said.

Kaelix blinked but before she could vocalize the perplexity of his statement he continued.

"I don't know if that's why I pass out, but that's what I hear when the dementors get close to me. It's the only time I've ever heard their voices." His voice was hollow.

"Is this some sort of joke to you, Potter?" she asked, "is it some sort of game?"

"What? No, I-"

"You think that if you apologize and share something personal with me, I'll just forgive you and suddenly tell you anything you want to know?" she asked, her voice surprisingly even.

"That's not why I told you," he argued.

"Isn't it though?" She glanced sideways at him.

"I can never say the right thing with you, can I?" He shook his head.

"And yet you keep trying anyway."

"I really was just trying to help, you know, in the beginning," he said.

"And here we go again," she sighed. "Aren't you tired of this yet?"

"Exhausted. But you just keep ignoring me and insist on hanging out with Malfoy anyway," he said, though his tone was lighter and far less accusatory.

"You know, you'd be much less annoying if you'd stop pretending that your constant nosiness was some great sacrifice to protect me and just admitted that you don't trust me," she said. He glanced sideways at her, his mouth dropping open with some kind of defense but she waved him off. "I don't particularly care but you cannot tell me that your first conversation with Weasley was a lecture about who else he was allowed to be friends with."

"So I was supposed to keep my mouth shut and not even try to warn you about falling in with the worst lot in school?"

"Yes," she agreed.

He faltered a step, clearly not the answer he was expecting. "Right then, does that rule apply if you're about to drink poison as well? I just let you die?"

Kaelix laughed at the absurdity of his question. "Potter, if I am about to drink poison that will surely kill me without realizing it please feel free to slap it out of my hand first and ask questions later. But even you have to realize that drinking poison and talking to Malfoy are not at all the same thing."

"They might be closer than you think," he huffed.

She rolled her eyes, "I would have given your 'warning' more thought if you'd actually given me a reason to be wary of Malfoy."

"I did give you-"

"Repeatedly telling me his house assignment as if it's a felony charge isn't a reason."

"It is when that house is Slytherin."

"Just because you don't like Slytherin, doesn't mean the rest of us can't."

"It's not just me, it's the whole school," he gestured around them. "Everyone here knows to stay away from Slytherins, that's why I tried to warn you."

"Really? Because so far you're the only one who's ordered me not to talk to them."

He sighed, "I wasn't trying to  _order_ you to do anything, I was just trying to warn you."

She shot him a skeptical look.

"Technically speaking," he said, running a hand through his messy hair, "I only told you that you  _shouldn't_ talk to them or any other Slytherins, not that you  _couldn't_."

She emitted a small exasperated huff. "That's like going around and telling everyone that they shouldn't eat potatoes just because you don't like potatoes."

He cocked his head to the side, "What are you talking about? I haven't said anything about potatoes."

"The potatoes are the Slytherins," she said.

"You're calling the Slytherins potatoes?" he asked.

She groaned, "No, you're missing the point."

"I like potatoes, I would never tell anyone not to eat potatoes."

"Forget about the potatoes," she said sharply.

"Okay, but for the record, you're the one who brought them up."

She heaved a sigh, glad to finally be ascending the final steps to the seventh floor. "I was trying to make a point. Just because you don't like something, doesn't mean I can't. You have to give me a reason."

"I have given you a reason, it's because-"

"I swear, if you finish that sentence with 'because they're Slytherin's' I will drag you to the astronomy tower and throw you off it," she stopped in front of the portrait hole. Sir Cadogan was snoring and entirely unaware of their presence. "What does it matter to you anyway?"

Potter just shrugged, "It just does."

Kaelix nodded, "No, reason for that either, huh. Nightshade," she added loudly to the drowsy portrait.

Sir Cadogan stumbled and jumped to a fighting stance, "You won't get past my defenses you spineless cowards-"

"Nightshade," Potter said over the portrait's rant.

He blinked, looked them over, and must have deemed them non-threatening because the portrait swung open to reveal the entrance. Kaelix immediately climbed through the hole.

"Does this mean you forgive me?" he asked, following her through.

"Goodnight, Potter," she called over her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hey! I've been posting this story over on fanfiction(.)net and I thought I'd share it over here as well. I'm working on the next chapter and hoping to update within a week or so. Thanks so much for reading and I'd love you forever if you left me a little review of what you thought!


	16. Chapter 16: Ebb and Flow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ebb and Flow

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

 

Chapter 16: Ebb and Flow

Over the following week Kaelix came to appreciate the fact that Lupin hadn't regularly scheduled Potter's patronus lessons on the same night as her lessons. As entertaining as it had been to watch him fall flat on his back against the boggart, she much preferred the walk back to Gryffindor Tower alone. Lupin was probably equally as grateful after having witnessed their bickering that night. Not her proudest moment, though somehow still proud enough that she didn't apologize to Lupin for it. He was the one that invited her to stay for Potter's lesson after all.

The following Saturday was the much anticipated quidditch match between Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Although Malfoy would never admit it, she could tell he was nervous the entire week leading up to it. Nott, Zabini, and Kaelix released a collective sigh when Malfoy successfully caught the snitch, but Nott was quick to point out that they hadn't won by enough.

"What do you mean they didn't win by enough?" Kaelix asked. "You either win or you lose, those are the only two options."

Nott just shook his head, "I knew you couldn't be pretty and smart."

She frowned and smacked his shoulder.

"Ouch," he feigned pain, "violence is never the answer, Williams. Use your words."

She rolled her eyes at his theatrics and turned to Zabini.

"The Quidditch Cup," he supplied. "It's awarded at the end of the season-"

"After all the matches have been tallied up, I remember now," she finished.

"Partial credit," said Nott.

She drew her arms across her chest, "I have only been here for four months, you can't expect me to know everything already."

"We have high standards," he said with a grin.

"I guess it's a good thing that I don't," she said with a grin of her own. "Aren't there still several matches left though?" she asked, following Zabini to the stairs.

"We have two more before the end of the season," he said as they descended the stands.

"So can't they just make up the points they need in one of those matches?"

"Technically, yes they could," said Zabini.

"But," Nott interjected, "the more we win by now the less we would have to win by later. And truth be told, Ravenclaw is one of the weaker teams so the small win doesn't bode well." His voice nearly dropped off at the last part as they started back toward the castle.

"Williams," she heard Malfoy call across the crowd.

"See you later," said Zabini, with more of a smile than usual.

Nott nodded and winked at her. She made a face in return and then rolled her eyes at their retreating backs before heading toward Malfoy. Boys, she thought with a small shake of her head.

"Congratulations," she said as she neared.

"Thanks," he smirked, "although we really didn't-"

"Win by enough?" she finished for him.

"Yeah, it would have been nice to earn a bit more toward the Cup. Put us in a better spot for the next match. Did you enjoy the show at least?" he asked, gesturing around the pitch.

She shrugged, "I didn't have anything else to do. I'll know better next time."

He leaned his broom against his shoulder with a casual smirk, "All the better for us. It's bad luck you know, having someone wearing other house colors in our stands." He tipped his head toward the Gryffindor scarf she had wrapped around her neck.

"Maybe next time I'll borrow one of a different color then, just to indulge your superstitions. You know, if I don't have anything better to do that day," she smirked.

"There must have been some part of it you enjoyed or you wouldn't have stayed the whole time," he said, turning to head toward the locker room.

"I guess that tiny little ball, the one with the wings? That was pretty cute flying around, playing keep away. Pretty amusing watching it outsmart everyone for over an hour," she said, falling into step beside him.

"And what about the player who caught it, he's pretty good isn't he?"

She paused, pretending to contemplate for a moment, "he's alright, I guess."

His mouth dropped open in mock offense, "Just alright? He won the match, I think that makes him a little more than 'alright'."

She shrugged, "He's a little arrogant sometimes, thinks quite a lot of himself."

He laughed lightly and she liked the effect it had on his face.

"So what are you doing with the rest of your Saturday?" he asked.

"Probably research for that History of Magic essay. And the Potions essay. And the Transfiguration essay. And Charms. You'd think they would at least spread them out a bit and not pile them all on at once."

"First few weeks back are always loaded with assignments. Speaking of research," he glanced sideways at her, "I was thinking about who might have sent you that letter."

Kaelix stopped on the spot, a wave of dread immediately washing over her as the chasm in the pit of her stomach yawned open again. "Why?" she asked flatly.

He stopped a step or two ahead of her. "I just- I had a thought."

She drew her arms across her chest. The letter was buried in her trunk, safely hidden in Gryffindor tower, but the necklace was tucked into her pocket-she hadn't been able to part with it yet. "What's your thought?"

"Did you ever consider that it might have been that man you talked to in Diagon Alley? The one who gave you those names?"

Her eyes focused on where his hands gripped his broom. The leather of his gloves was pulled taught, if she'd been able to see his fingernails they'd likely be pressed white. She swallowed, noting the way the stitching was fraying ever so slightly on his left glove.

"I supposed it could have been him," she said.

"You don't sound convinced," he said.

"Are you?" she said too quickly, then added more distantly, "it's not really his style."

He ran a hand over his face, absently scratching his chin. "He gave you those names to look up out of the blue, didn't he?"

Kaelix nodded, her eyes unfocused on the grass. Malfoy didn't say anything else for what felt like an eternity. She wanted him to drop it but she didn't know why, couldn't explain the twisting in her gut that worsened with each passing second. She wouldn't find out who sent the letter, who it was addressed to until the person holding that knowledge decided they wanted her to know. The speculation was pointless.

"Williams, do you think it's possible that Katherine Holstein woman could be-"

"I thought you told me to drop it?" she interrupted. "You told me to stay away from him and anything he told me about."

The deep shadow he cast across the ground shifted with his shrug. "I figured you didn't listen."

"Are you saying I'm a bad listener?" She asked.

"Horrid," he said. "Worst I've ever met in fact."

She couldn't help the small smile that tugged up at the corners of her mouth.

He glanced over to the locker room where the last of his teammates had already disappeared, and then back at her, a bit of a grin on his face. "You know what would be fun?"

"There are so many answers to that question," she said slyly.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, "For example?"

She pondered for a moment and then settled on one of the first things that had popped into her head. "Convincing Zabini that my troll actually follows me everywhere but he's invisible and only those who are worthy can see him. And then watch while Zabini desperately tries to become worthy enough?"

Malfoy considered her suggestion. "Definitely worth trying but not at all where I was going."

"Mmm, then how about turning Potter into a real life Pinocchio by jinxing him so that every time he asks a question that isn't any of his business his nose grows an inch longer?"

"No. Wait, what's a Pinocchio?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

"He's a wooden puppet whose nose grows when he lies, it's supposed to teach him not to. So with Potter it would be those endless questions he thinks everyone owes him answers to," she explained.

"It would be fun to turn Potter into a puppet. Any more whimsical suggestions?" he raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"I've always thought it would be fun to make the great hall actually rain in the middle of dinner," she suggested.

"Over every table but ours?"

"Or just over Potter and Weasley,"

"Any more guesses?"

"Nope, I'm out."

His smirk turned to a borderline grin and he gestured to his broomstick. Kaelix blinked, he wasn't serious.

"You should hop on," he said, no sign of joking to be seen. "I'll take you around the pitch, it'll be fun."

She immediately shook her head, "No, thanks."

"Oh come oh, don't be a spoil sport. Just a quick ride," his grin hadn't faltered.

"No," she repeated, nearly taking a step back.

"Why not? I'll have you back on the ground before you know it,"

"I don't want to," she insisted.

His eyes narrowed a bit, "You're not afraid of heights are you?" he teased.

"No, I was just up in the stands watching you play. Why does everyone think it's about the height?"

He stepped a leg over his broom. "Well if you're okay with the height then just give it a try, come one, it'll be fun." He grabbed her hand to pull her on behind him.

She ripped her hand back from his grasp and took a step back before snapping, "I said no."

He was pushed back from the force of her words, nearly falling to ground as he stumbled over his broom. "Merlin, Williams. It's just a broom ride."

"And I said no."

"Why?" he pressed.

"Because I don't feel like it." She drew her arms across her chest.

"You don't lash out at someone like that just because you 'don't feel like it'. What's the real reason?" he demanded.

"You're taking notes out of Potter's book if you think you have the right to demand answers from me. I don't owe you an explanation," she snapped.

He stepped forward, glowering at her now. "Don't you dare compare me to that no good Potter," he spat, "we're nothing alike."

"Well, this bit here," she gestured between them, "is annoyingly similar."

"This bit here," he imitated her gesture, "is all you. You're the one that chooses to hang out with me rather than your own house mates."

"And that means I'm obligated to answer any question that you ask me?"

"It means you should at least explain why you nearly bit my head off over a broom ride,"

"I wouldn't have had to bite your head off if you would have listened to me when I said no the first time,"

"Maybe I would have listened to you, if you'd given me a proper reason instead of 'I don't want to'."

"I don't want to is a proper reason. You can't just drag anyone on to your broom whenever you want to you arrogant prat,"

"I'm the arrogant prat?" he said in disbelief. "You're the one who's too good for her own house, too good to accept any help or advice from anyone. You're so much better than the rest of us that you can't even have one bloody sincere conversation without turning it into a joke."

"I turn everything into a joke? That's the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?"

"What does a pot or kettle have to do with any of this?" he demanded. "You always do that."

"Do what?" she snapped.

"You're always bringing up stupid muggle things that make no sense to anyone but you,"

"You not understanding the 'stupid muggle things' I bring up is more a reflection of your ignorance than anything else,"

"You're at a wizarding school," he gestured to the castle, "nobody wants to hear about your muggle nonsense here. I've certainly heard enough it."

"Great, I'll add that to the list of forbidden topics I'm not allowed to bring up in conversation."

"You want to talk about topics we're not allowed to bring up? How about your entire past before arriving here? Or the real reason you're so interested in what happened to Katherine Holstein and the others?"

"I told you about the connections between O'Conner and Fuhrman and Katherine. I told you I was curious and you were the one who told me to drop it."

"Curious, really?" he snorted.

"What?"

"You're really going to pretend it's just curiosity and not something more personal?"

She swallowed hard. What was he playing at? Had he somehow learned about her wand's relation to the others'? "I don't know what you're talking about," she said honestly.

He scoffed and shook his head. "That's rich."

"What are you on about?" she chided.

"You don't honestly expect me to believe that you're so invested in all of this just because some man in Hogsmeade told you about it,"

"You're the one who told me to drop it and now you're upset I didn't tell you more about it? You can't have it both ways,"

"I told you to leave well enough alone because I thought you had no idea who or or what you were dealing with. Is there some other reason you don't want to drop it? Something you're not telling me?"

"Even if there was, why would I share it with you? It's not like we're actually friends, right?"

"What do you call this then?" he gestured between them.

"Hmm, an experiment? A bet maybe? Or, what was it Zabini called me, your little pet project?"

His anger faltered for a fraction of a second before he quickly said, "Zabini's an idiot."

Her gaze dropped to the ground and her voice was smaller than she would have liked when she asked, "Is he wrong though?"

"What?"

Her jaw clenched and she ground out, "Is. He. Wrong?" Her fiery gaze snapped up to meet his and her words cut through the chill air, "Or are you really as much of a git as they all say you are?"

He didn't balk from her stare and cut back, "If I'm such a git and we're not friends, then what are you even doing here?"

He seemed taller just then. She took a step back. Sliding her hands deep in her pockets, and wishing his words hadn't felt like such a blow. Her shoulders shrugged as she conceded, "I don't know."

She turned back toward the castle and set off at a quick pace.

"Williams," he called after her.

Her steps nearly faltered as she considered turning back for half a second, but she caught herself and continued on. The biting cold stung her eyes and she quickened her pace as much to warm herself as to put more distance between them.

Harry was working on his transfiguration essay with Ron when the portrait hole opened. If he hadn't already been facing it, he probably wouldn't have given it a second thought. But the movement caught his eye and he was open to any distraction from the work in front of him. Her head was bowed so that her dark hair formed a curtain across her face as she skirted the edge of the common room toward her dorm. Thee light from the fire didn't quite reach far enough to illuminate her face, but when she swiped her loose hair behind her ear, Harry saw the red rimming her eyes.

He shifted forward in his seat, fully intent for a split second on crossing the room to ask what happened. But she was across to the girls' staircase before he could rise from his seat. Probably for the best, he thought as she disappeared up the spiral stairs, since he was much more likely to make it worse before he made it any better. Whatever it was. Still he hesitated at the edge of his armchair. He'd never seen her upset before, not like that, and something in the pit of him stomach twisted at the thought of leaving her alone.

He racked his brain for a way to check on her without actually checking on her and when the answer came to him he almost laughed out loud at how obvious it was. Hermione. Somehow, despite all the bickering he'd done with Williams, or perhaps in spite of it, she'd remained on good terms with Hermione. Surely the girl could ask her dorm mate how she was doing without raising too many eyebrows. He relaxed back into his chair, resolving to ask Hermione to check on her as soon as she returned from the library, and pondering what exactly Malfoy had done to upset Williams so much. Maybe this was then end of their "friendship". He retrieved his quill and turned back to his essay, mentally adding one more reason to his long list of reasons to hate Malfoy.

It turned out that asking Hermione to check on Williams hadn't been the easy work around that Harry had originally thought it would be. She'd outright refused to "spy on Kaelix under the ruse of caring about her wellbeing" for him, despite his continued protests that his request came from a place of sincerity.

"I told you, I already asked her. She said she's fine. If you don't believe her, then go on and call her a liar yourself," she'd snapped at him at breakfast one morning after he'd asked her to check on Williams again.

"I think we both know that would be a disaster," he muttered back.

"And who's fault is that?" she snapped her book closed and shoved it into her already bulging bag. She stood and slung her bag over her shoulder, intent on leaving.

"Hermione-" Harry had protested.

She whirled around and he fully expected another snapped retort, but she sighed and her expression softened. "Harry, if you really care then just… be nice to her."

She'd hurried off to Arithmancy class after that last comment.

That had been a few weeks ago, before January had faded into February and the temperature had risen just enough for the clouds to begin a constantly drizzling mix of half frozen rain that left the castle feeling damp. He'd decided against asking Williams what happened between her and Malfoy, because clearly something had happened between them, that much he'd surmised. She'd been dining with the Gryffindors ever since the night he saw her teary return to the common room. No one else seemed to mind her sudden reappearance, she seemed to be getting on just fine with the rest of her housemates. In fact she was getting on particularly well with Neville, Seamus, and Dean, much to Harry's annoyance.

Between increased homework, increased quidditch practice, and starting up dementor lessons with Professor Lupin, Harry hadn't had many opportunities to take Hermione's advice. But the week leading up to his match against Ravenclaw presented him with a surprise opportunity. She'd been sitting crossed legged on a desk when he walked into the History of Magic classroom for his weekly patronus lesson. Lupin uttered a quick apology that he'd needed to combine their lessons for the night, something about feeling a cold coming on. But halfway through the lesson Harry was finding it difficult to 'be nice' as Hermione instructed, since Williams was in rare form herself.

He was entirely to aware of her eyes on him as he tried yet again to cast a patronus against the boggart-dementor. Still not managing to conjure anything more substantial than the wispy mist he'd managed on the first night of lessons. He could almost feel her eyes roll back as he gripped the nearest desk for support while Lupin wrestled the boggart back in the packing case. The boggart-dementor hadn't even been driven back a single step before his feeble, formless mass of a patronus was snuffed out, dissipating as quickly as it had formed.

"I'd like to see you do better," Potter snapped after he caught her shaking her head.

She snorted and propped her chin on her hand. "I wouldn't want to embarrass you."

"Like you could even conjure a formless Patronus," he muttered.

"I have already," she shot at him and then smirked as she added, "and that was without a single day of schooling."

His fist clenched. "Prove it," he challenged, levelling his gaze against hers.

Her smile only broadened slightly. "I don't have to prove anything to you."

"That's enough," Professor Lupin said, shooting a warning glance at Williams. It wasn't the first time he'd had to play referee between the two of them. Then, as if he couldn't help himself, "When did you conjure a Patronus?"

She sat up a little straighter, swiped her hair behind her ear and said, "When the dementors were searching the train for Black. I didn't know what it was at the time, but it looked just like the formless silvery-white mist that he keeps conjuring up. And mine made the dementor leave me alone, and that was a real one," she teased in his direction.

Harry scowled and glared at her which only seemed to fuel her. But then she caught sight of Remus' disapproving look and her joy faltered, slightly. She averted her gaze, struggling to contain her smirk.

Lupin sighed and turned back to Harry, "Harry, you're expecting too much of yourself. Regardless of what Kaelix has or hasn't done," he shot her another glance to keep her comments to herself, "for a thirteen-year-old wizard, even an indistinct Patronus is a huge achievement."

Harry wasn't entirely convinced.

"At least you aren't passing out anymore," Williams said.

He shot her an icy glare but was surprised to see her expression was genuine.

"She's right, Harry. That's a measurable improvement," said Lupin.

"I thought a Patronus would charge the dementor down or something," he said. "Make them disappear or just do something."

"The true Patronus does do that," Lupin said. "But you've achieved a great deal in a very short space of time. If the dementors put in an appearance at your next Quidditch match, you will be able to keep them at bay long enough to get back to the ground."

He worked his jaw and said, "You said it's harder if there are loads of them."

"I have complete confidence in you," said Lupin, smiling. Too her credit, Williams didn't even snigger at the comment. "Here," said Lupin, "you've earned a drink - something from the Three Broomsticks. You won't have tried it before-"

"Butterbeer!" Harry said without thinking. "Yeah, I like that stuff."

Lupin's eyebrow shot up at the comment. Harry realizing his mistake too late.

"How is it that you've tried it before?" Williams asked, uncrossing her legs and hanging them off the edge of the desk to sway beneath her. "You know, since you've never been to Hogsmeade before?"

"Oh - Ron and Hermione," he covered quickly, "they brought some back for me, from Hogsmeade."

Lupin's critical gaze lingered for another moment while Harry wondered whether Williams had been trying to help or sabotage him.

"I see," Lupin finally said, though the suspicion wasn't entirely gone from his expression. He offered a bottle to Williams as well before continuing, "I think we'll drink to a Gryffindor victory against Ravenclaw, and then call it a night. I'm afraid I'm a bit more worn out than I'd realized."

Williams perked up a bit and asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, yes, everything's fine. Nothing to worry about," he said dismissively.

"What's under a dementor's hood?" Harry asked, not quite registering the genuine concern she'd expressed toward Lupin but entirely aware of her gaze snapping to him at the question.

"Hmmm…" Lupin leaned against Professor Binns' desk, his own butterbeer in hand. "Well, the only people who really know the answer to that are in no condition to tell us." Now both his and Williams' undivided attention was on Lupin. "You see, the dementor lowers its hood only to use its last and worst weapon."

"What is it?" Williams asked before Harry could voice the same question.

"They call it the Dementor's Kiss," said Lupin, with a slightly twisted smile. "It's what dementors do to those they wish to utterly and completely destroy. I suppose there must be some sort of mouth under there, because they clamp their jaws upon the mouth of the victim and - and suck out his soul."

Harry hardly noticed the distance growing in Lupin's eyes and he sputtered on his drink and gasped, "They kill-?"

"Oh no," Lupin said with a small shake of his head. "Much worse than that." Williams legs had stopped swaying beneath her. "You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no… anything. There's no chance at all of recovery. You'll just- exist. As an empty shell. And your soul is gone forever… lost."

Harry was shocked that something so cruel could exist at all. He was trying to wrap his head around the idea of losing his soul when Williams spoke, her words chilling him to the bone with a thought he hadn't gotten to yet.

"That's what they plan on doing to Black, isn't it?" she'd gone rigid, her gaze averted to her butterbeer.

"It was in the Prophet this morning. The Ministry have given the dementors permission to perform it if they find him," Lupin confirmed.

There was something in Lupin's expression that Harry couldn't understand.

"You don't think he deserves it, do you?" he asked, his jaw clenching.

Lupin levelled his gaze against Harry's but there was no anger there. If anything, he looked sad. "You think he does?" his voice seemed hollow, "you really think anyone deserves that?"

Harry clenched his fists, feeling like he'd overstepped. He glanced at Williams expecting to see her critical gaze on him but she was still staring absently at her drink. "Well…" he reconsidered, maybe Black didn't deserve that. But his mother's voice echoed through his mind, her shouts in her final moments, all because of Black. He resquared his shoulders defiantly, "Yes. For some things."

Lupin dropped his gaze and nodded. "Well, it seems the Ministry agrees with you. You two best be getting back to your common room. Good luck at the match, Harry. I'll see you both next week."

Williams hopped off the desk and gave Lupin a murmured "feel better soon" on her way across the classroom. Harry was quick to follow.

They navigated the castle corridors in silence, though Williams was clearly somewhere else entirely, her eyes still somewhat vacant and downturned. Harry wondered briefly if she knew what direction they were walking, or if she cared at the moment. He wanted to ask but based on past experience he kept his mouth shut. For once. Something about that last bit of their conversation with Professor Lupin had struck a chord with her. At some point she'd shifted from her typical animated and slightly sarcastic self to this quiet stewing presence that now walked beside him. He was contemplating the exact moment of the shift in her demeanor when she spoke.

"You really think Black deserves that, a soulless existence?" she asked.

He was a bit taken aback by the question but he supposed he shouldn't be. That was the moment she'd gone rigid back in the classroom, when Lupin explained the Dementor's Kiss.

"Seems to me like he's already lost it, or whatever soul he's got isn't worth saving. So why not? Take it away. At least that way he can't hurt anyone else."

"How can you just... condemn him to that kind of fate?"

"Because he betrayed my parents and then murdered thirteen innocent people,"

"And you think that's enough to warrant taking his soul?"

"The Ministry thinks so,"

She scoffed, "Oh, well, if the Ministry thinks so then by all means."

"He's already broken out of Azkaban once. What else would you do with him?"

"I don't know, Potter. But I don't trust anyone who can just decide to do that to another human being.

"He deserves to pay for what he's done."

"I don't disagree with you. I just- taking someone's soul? Christ, Potter. What if you're wrong?"

"You don't think multiple eyewitness accounts are enough to be certain?" he demanded.

"All I'm saying is that I don't think a group of random people that have never met him before should get to decide whether or not he deserves to keep his soul."

"He's the reason I never knew my parents, I don't have to meet him to know he doesn't deserve a soul,"

"If anyone has the right to decide Black's fate, it's you. But… What if it wasn't his fault? Not directly,"

"He handed my parents to Voldemort, how is that not direct enough for you?"

"But what if he didn't do it willingly, what if they forced him somehow, or tricked him? What if he was betrayed?"

Harry was shaking his head. "No. You don't understand. He was their secret keeper. He was the only one who knew where they were hiding, he was the only one who could give that information to Voldemort, and he had to do it willingly, that's how the spell works."

"Well, maybe they found some way around the spell then,"

"There is no way around it," he snapped. "Why are you defending him?"

"I'm not defending him, I just- It doesn't make sense,"

"What do you mean?"

"Why risk breaking into the castle, into the common room to get to you? Wouldn't it be much easier to come after you during quidditch practice when you're less protected? He killed thirteen people with a single curse right, so a school quidditch team should be easy enough to take out to get to you. But that's not what he tried. It doesn't make sense."

Harry shrugged, "I don't think he's thinking logically at the moment, being that he's on the run and all."

"Doesn't that prove he is though, thinking about his every move? He'd have to be, in order to keep from getting caught all this time," her eyes were still distant, looking past the corridor to some memory. "Everyone thought he must have lost track of the days and not realized that everyone would be down at the feast, but what if it wasn't an accident, what if he came to the common room that night because he knew it would be deserted."

"You don't think he's after me?"

She sighed and shrugged, "I don't think a man breaks out of prison after twelve years, and evades capture for months while the whole of the wizarding world is looking for him, only to go after his target without being absolutely certain of its location. I think-" she bit her lip briefly, weighing her words, "I think that if Black wanted you dead, you already would be."

Harry didn't have time to process her words before his attention was drawn to Professor McGonagall, marching down the corridor toward them.

"Potter, there you are." She nodded to Kaelix before continuing, "I've just been looking for you in the Gryffindor common room. Well, here it is, we've done everything we could think of, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all. You've got a very good friend somewhere, Potter…"

Harry's jaw fell slack. McGonagall was holding out his Firebolt, the one they'd suspected had been sent by Black. He hadn't expected there would be anything left of it to marvel at after they'd stripped it down to check for jinxes, but it looked as unblemished as the display model he'd first laid eyes on in Diagon Alley.

"I can have it back?" he asked, afraid to reach for it just yet. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," said Professor McGonagall.

She was actually smiling, he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her smile. He stood there dumbfounded, having never expected to see the broom in one piece again, despite hoping desperately for the opposite.

"Why don't you take it before she changes her mind," Williams said with a sly smile.

He glanced at her, realizing he'd forgotten she was there, before reaching for his new broom.

"I daresay you'll need to get the feel of it before Saturday's match, won't you?" said Professor McGonagall. "And Potter - do try and win, won't you? Or we'll be out of the running for the eighth year in a row, as Professor Snape was kind enough to remind me only last night."

All he could do was nod before she walked off. He was speechless as he carried the Firebolt down the corridor to Gryffindor Tower, hardly aware of Williams' presence. They topped the stairs and turned the corner to find Neville pleading with Sir Cadogan. The overzealous portrait guard was refusing him admittance to the tower.

"I wrote them down!" Neville was saying tearfully. "But I must've dropped them somewhere!"

"A likely tale!" roared Sir Cadogan. Then, spotting Harry and Kaelix, "Good evening, my fine young yeomen! Come clap this loon in irons. He is trying to force entry to the chambers within!"

Williams gave an exasperated sigh accompanied by an equally annoyed eye roll.

"Oddsbodikins," she said.

Sir Cadogan looked extremely disappointed but swung forward, albeit reluctantly so. Williams made a face at him as he went and he looked mortified at the affront.

"Thank you," Neville sobbed, "I've lost all the passwords! I made him tell me what he would be using this week, because he changes them so much, and know I don't know what I've done with them."

"He told you passwords for the whole week and then wouldn't let you in?" Harry asked.

Neville nodded with a sniffle.

"There's got to be some rule against changing it so often. How do they expect us to get into our own common room when the password changes more often than the ceiling in the great hall?" Williams said, shaking her head. "Maybe one of the prefects can charm it into your robe sleeve or something? Heck, maybe they can do that for all of us until this twat is gone."

"Sir Cadogan is no twat, lass!" he shouted

His comment only elicited another face from Williams.

"Thank you again," Neville said. "I've been stuck out here a few times already this week."

"It's no problem," she said with a small smile.

Neville turned and disappeared through the hole. Williams moved to follow him but before she could, Ron came dashing out.

"She gave it to you? Excellent! Listen, can I still have a go on it? Tomorrow?" he asked, breathless with excitement.

"Yeah… anything…" said Harry, his heart lighter than it had been in a month.

"You should probably apologize to Hermione," Williams said from where she was poised to enter the portrait hole. "She was only trying to help and just because there was nothing wrong with the stick doesn't mean she was wrong to think there might be."

Ron glared at her, "It's really none of your business, is it?"

She shrugged and ducked through the portrait hole.

"She's right you," Harry conceded.

"Doesn't mean I have to like her for it," said Ron.

They climbed through the portrait hole and an excited murmur broke out as soon as Harry stepped into the common room. The next moment, he was surrounded by people exclaiming over his Firebolt, many requesting to hold it or expressing their excitement over the prospect of it tipping the scales during the upcoming match. Ron was happy to step in a play gatekeeper, fielding the statistical questions that he'd long since memorized the answers to.

Harry caught sight of Williams' retreating form as she disappeared up the girls' staircase. As happy as he was with his new broom, his thoughts wandered to what she'd said about Black. I think it Black wanted you dead, you already would be. A man as dangerous and powerful as Black wouldn't try to break into an empty common room, unless he knew there was something inside that he wanted. Harry glanced around the room, past the students gathered around him and wondered what secrets might be hidden in the tower that would interest Black. What could he possibly have been after if not Harry?

"SCABBERS!" Ron's bellow broke into his thoughts. "LOOK! SCABBERS!" he was racing across the common room toward Hermione, dragging a bedsheet with him.

Even from where Harry stood aloft, he could see the little bit of blood staining the sheets, and Hermione's eyes widened a bit when she saw it too.

Kaelix rolled over and groaned at the light filtering in through her curtains. If it was that light out already she'd slept for far too long. Her stomach gurgled in protest but she didn't move. She stared at the ceiling and tried to recall the dream she'd left behind. A shiver travelled down her spine as the image her mind had crafted of a dementor's sunken face returned to her. Something akin to a shrivelled corpse, the eyes, nose, and mouth were all gaping holes like a skeleton. And the whistling. She realized now that it'd been the wind whipping by the window, but in her dream it had been the dementor, sucking the very life from the air around her. Not just her, she realized, there were others there as well. She couldn't quite remember who but she was pretty sure she could guess who her subconscious had put in that room with her. Because they had been in a room, hadn't they?

She tried to shake the thoughts away but she trailed back around to the conversation between her, Remus, and Potter just two days ago. She'd been taken aback by the pure darkness that was the Dementor's Kiss. They were already horrible beings, but this was another layer of darkness that she hadn't quite seen coming. Maybe that was the world's cruel irony for her, this world that they'd imagined as happy and whole and safe wasn't so different than the one they'd been trying to escape after all.

Another gurgle of her stomach brought her back to the very real possibility that she'd miss breakfast if she didn't get moving soon. She groaned again at the prospect of the pep filled great hall, overflowing with the pre-match anticipation that it always was before quidditch. Except this time she'd have to suffer through it with the Gryffindors. They weren't bad, she reminded herself, in fact they were quite pleasant most of the time. Even Potter had been more tolerable lately. But it still wasn't the same.

She pulled herself out of bed and made her way down to the great hall. She'd nearly reached the Gryffindor table when someone caught her by the arm.

"Williams, where have you been lately? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages," said Nott.

"What? Oh, I just-" she fumbled for any sort of explanation other than the truth. If Malfoy hadn't filled them in then she certainly wasn't going to.

"You can't honestly be having a better time with those Gryffindors than you have with us," he was grinning.

Oh, Nott. A smirk formed across her features, "Only the really, really cute ones."

He chuckled, and just like that, any expectation of an actual explanation dissolved with his chuckle.

"So you admit it, the only thing that matters to you is looks," he teased.

"Just because it's first, doesn't mean it's the only thing on the list."

He cocked an eyebrow at her, "So you're saying the rest of us still have a chance?"

"You know you always have a chance, Nott," she said, holding back a laugh. "A really, really small chance."

"You're too cruel, Williams," he sighed. "Well today you're sitting with us again," he steered her around.

"But-" she tried.

"And don't think you're going to avoid going to the match either. You owe us at least that much," he insisted.

"Owe you?" she asked.

"It's incredibly unfair you know, that you can avoid Malfoy's sour mood by running off to your own house table, while the rest of us are forced to put up with the grouch. It's especially unfair seeing as you're the one with the best chance at cheering him up. So, yes," he stressed, "you owe us."

"Oh," was all she could say, a bit surprised by Nott's words.

"Although if you prefer," he flashed a disarming smile, "you can always take the seat next to me."

She rolled her eyes, that was what she expected from Nott. She nearly objected, because despite whatever Nott claimed she could do, she highly doubted that her presence was likely to cheer Malfoy up at all. But she was at a loss for an excuse to duck away, and they were already at the table. The bit of dread twisting up her stomach as they'd walked over, clenched tighter as she scanned the table for him. But he wasn't there.

In fact, he didn't show up for the rest of breakfast. Nor did he show up in the stands for the match. Pansy made her disapproval of Kaelix's presence known with a deep scowl and dismissive comment, which earned her a sharp retort from Zabini. Kaelix made idle conversation with the boys throughout the match, but she was half distracted wondering where Malfoy was. Neither Nott or Zabini mentioned him at all since Nott had intercepted her that morning, and Kaelix couldn't bring herself to ask.

A single scream started it, but it wasn't until it rippled through the crowd that Kaelix saw the source. Four dementors, four tall, black, hooded dementors were looking up at Potter. But something was off, there was no bone chilling cold in the air this time, and their movements weren't as fluid as they normally were. And why were two of them so much wider than the other two?

"Oh, no…" Kaelix whispered under her breath, then she looked down the line of Slytherins and sure enough, Crabbe and Goyle were both missing too. She looked to Nott and Zabini who silently confirmed her suspicion. Her eyes rolled in exasperation, "idiots."

In a second, Potter spun around on his broomstick, brandishing his wand and shouted, "Expecto patronum!"

A stream of silver light shot out of his wand and raced toward the three hooded figures. The stream expanded to a mass larger than any other Patronus she'd seen Potter cast against the boggart. He didn't hesitate for even a moment to see if he'd been successful, instead turning immediately back to resume his pursuit of the snitch. Kaelix watched as the formless jet of silver raced down and down toward the "dementors" and for a split second feared what a patronus might do to a human.

The four of them stumbled, tripping over their own robes. Definitely not real dementors then. The formless Patronus circled the fallen flailing forms and then dissipated, deeming the threat neutralized.

Madam Hooch's whistle sounded. Potter had caught the snitch. Gryffindor had won.

Kaelix had missed Potter catch the snitch, and the moment he thrust his fist up in triumph. But she did hear the roar of applause, whooping, cheering, and hollering that followed close behind. Her attention was still focused on the four fake dementors stumbling to regain their footing down below, looking impossibly small in the vast field. Well, one of them in particular. Madame Hooch landed on the ground near them and stalked over, joined barely moments later by Professor McGonagall. Both shouting words that were indistinguishable from where Kaelix stood watching. McGonagall wretched the first one up and the hood fell back to reveal striking blond hair.

She rounded on Nott and Zabini, "Why did you let him do that?"

Nott scoffed and Zabini shook his head.

"Let him? Williams, even if we'd known what he was up to, there's no way we could have talked him out of it," Zabini said.

"Especially if Flint was in on it as well," Nott said, nodding down to the field where all four figures had been exposed now.

She glanced back to where Professor McGonagall was chastising the Slytherins and recognized Flint's hulking form as well.

"Why though? What the hell was he thinking would happen?" she asked.

Nott winced, "He probably wasn't. Either that or he'd rather suffer McGonagall than Flint. It's a toss up really, but he doesn't have to live with McGonagall."

"I don't understand, why would he listen to Flint over you two?"

Zabini shrugged and Nott shook his head.

"We don't understand either, but sometimes he just… I don't know, Williams, it's like he's trying to show off and he struts around ordering Crabbe and Goyle about like it's impressive or something,"

"We've tried to talk to him about it but he's not exactly chatty,"

"You should ask him," said Nott, "if he'll talk to anyone, it'd be you."

Kaelix bit her lip, not entirely convinced. But she turned to duck out of the stands before she could talk herself out of it.

"Give him our best," Nott shouted after her.

Before she could catch up to Malfoy though, Professor Snape was ordering him and the others to follow. So Kaelix waited a bit and then followed a short distance behind, all the way to his office where she took up a spot leaning against the wall and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Even though it was probably no more than five or ten minutes, it seemed like she'd been standing there forever. Her mind ping-ponging between staying and leaving, staying and leaving. Zabini had said he missed her, but he hadn't even made eye contact with her since that day they fought on the quidditch pitch. But Nott said she could cheer him up if she tried. But he'd been ignoring her. But Zabini said he'd been ignoring them too. But if he wanted to talk to her-

The door to Snape's office snapped open. Kaelix didn't move while the boys filed out one by one. Heat rose in her cheeks and she wondered yet again what she was even doing here. Flint glowered at her as he passed, presumably heading for the Slytherin common room. Crabbe and Goyle emerged next, their large forms filing awkwardly into the corridor and then hovering as if they didn't know which direction to go. Malfoy was the last one out.

His eyes scanned the corridor and when they settled on her he stiffened, "What are you doing here?" His tone was cold.

"I-" she started.

Snape's office door slammed shut with a loud snap. Kaelix tried to swallow the lump in her throat, what was she doing here?

"Well?" Malfoy snapped, his expression bored.

She took a steadying breath and gestured to Snape's office, "I just wanted to see how that went."

He scoffed and drew his arms across his chest, "Like you care."

"I'm here, aren't I?" She drew her arms across her chest.

He shrugged. "I guess."

She clenched her jaw. So that's how he wanted this to go.

"Nott was right, you are acting like a spoiled arse of a child," she said.

"I'm the spoiled arse-"

She didn't wait for him to finish, "Yes. You're extra grumpy, extra rude, and evidently, extra stupid if the stunt you pulled back there is any indication."

"You're the one who stomped off like a child and then starting avoiding us. If anyone's been acting like a spoiled child here it's you."

"I did not stomp off, I walked away when you couldn't admit that we were friends."

"You were the one who said we weren't friends and stopped coming around."

"And you didn't argue did you? You didn't come ask me to join you again."

"This whole thing is your fault, you know,"

"All of this is my fault? I'm the reason you dressed up like a dementor and tried to sabotage Potter, because I wouldn't sit with you at lunch?"

"No, not that. The rest of it, all of this," he gestured between them.

"I'm not taking any more than fifty percent of this," she imitated his gesture, "the rest of it's all yours and you know it. Can we just agree on that and move on?"

He worked his jaw, averting his gaze to consider her offer. Eventually gesturing back to Snape's office, "It could have been worse."

She breathed a small sigh through her nose. "I guess it's a good thing he goes easy on Slytherins."

Malfoy shook his head, "He goes easy on the students he likes, you could get away with a lot if you wanted to."

She furrowed her brow, about to express her doubt.

"Don't try to deny it, I've never seen him compliment a student. Ever."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "You're exaggerating."

"And you're in denial."

She pursed her lips, he was exaggerating. Wasn't he?

A moment of silence passed and then Kaelix asked, "Why did you do that? You're smart enough to known how stupid it was."

"It was only supposed to be a joke." His gaze flickered to meet hers briefly from beneath his lowered brow.

"A joke?" One of her eyebrows rose, "I thought your sense of humor was better than that."

He just shrugged and started off down the corridor. Kaelix rolled her eyes and turned to fall into step beside him.

"If I'd told you not to, would it have made a difference at all?"

He smirked, "Probably not."

"Why is it so important for you to win?" she sighed.

She missed the quick clench or his jaw before he spoke.

"My father would be pretty… disappointed if we lost."

"Really? Over a school quidditch match? Seems a little silly if you ask me."

"It's not really about the match," he said. And she thought he'd elaborate but he shook his head and said, "Look about the other day…"

"Don't worry about it," she interjected, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "I was a bit of a git, I shouldn't have said you were acting like Potter."

"You weren't a git, Williams, you were just dealing with one."

"Still, I could have-"

"Apology accepted," he interrupted with a smirk. "But that's not why I brought it up."

"Oh?"

He hesitated, "Yeah, uh… just something I thought of that's been bothering me for a bit…"

Kaelix waited for him to continue, wondering at the atypical verbal meandering he was doing.

He took a deep breath before plunging onward. "She disappeared in 1979, right? Katherine, I mean. But she didn't turn up dead until 1981. That prophet article said they thought she had a baby with her, they assumed it didn't make it but what if it did?"

Kaelix's brow furrowed, this wasn't the route she'd expected their conversation to take. She shrugged, "So what if it did? We don't exactly have a name to look up and even if we did, what's the likelihood that they know anything about it anyway?"

"Williams…" He gave her a look.

"What?"

His eyes rolled a bit, "You were born in 1980."

She waited again, when he didn't elaborate, "Yeah, so?"

He sighed, "That letter you got said that your mother would be in London on the first, with you. Katherine was in London on November 1st, 1981. With a baby."

"Oh…" It hadn't occurred to her, she hadn't pieced all that together until now. She stopped short and so did he. "Wait, you don't think…?"

"Williams," he gave her that skeptical look again. "You're the one who said it was all too much to be a coincidence."

"Even if that baby survived, and that's a big if, there must be hundreds, if not thousands, of kids that are the right age to be that child."

"But how many of them look like they could be her twin?"

Her mouth hung open silently, no counterpoint forming in her mind.

"Look," he continued, "you don't have to believe it, I'm not even saying that I believe it. It was just a idea I had, I thought for certain that you'd already considered it. But just in case you hadn't, I thought you should. Because it does seem possible."

She nodded vaguely, still trying to stumble through her thoughts on the matter. Katherine could be her mother, how hadn't she seen it before? The resemblance, the timing. She'd laid all those articles out to look at the timeline and never once did she factor in her own birth. Never once did she consider that one of the names the Inn Man had given her could be related to her. The answer to a question she'd been asking her whole life loomed in front of her like a gaping black hole. She stepped back from it, wary of teetering on the edge of that abyss of knowledge. It didn't matter; the coincidences, the timing, the resemblance. None of it mattered, because it wasn't true.

"Now would you stop avoiding our table at mealtime?" His voice broke through her mental freefall. "I've been getting more crap about you suddenly disappearing from our table than I did when I brought you over that first time."

"Oh come on, I'm sure Pansy was more than happy with my absence."

"All the more reason for you to join us again," he said, that rare genuine smile finally making an appearance.

"I suppose I could make the occasional appearance," she said, her own involuntary smirk forming.

Her smirk faltered as her mind turned back to that dark beckoning abyss.

* * *

 

_Author's Note: Hey y'all! As always, super sorry for the disgustingly long wait between the this chapter and the last one. I've been super busy with work, doing freelance on the side, and possiblyanewboyfriendwhatanyway so I just haven't had as much time to write as I would like. Hopefully the next chapter won't take quite as long. Thank you so much for being so patient and continuing to read! If you have a moment, please let me know what you think of this chapter and the story so far, it really goes a long way with my motivation to carve out writing time! Until next time!_


	17. Lockets and Candlelight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lockets and Candlelight

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any part of the Harry Potter characters or universe as crafted by JK Rowling. Anything recognizable in this chapter is taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Chapter 17: Lockets and Candlelight

Harry sighed. Hermione had run up to her dorm, again, after yet another nasty comment from Ron about Scabbers. He was getting a bit tired of being stuck in the middle of their ongoing row. Ron was muttering something about what he would do to Crookshanks the next time he saw the cat. Harry tried to conceal his eye roll and was about to jump back up to rejoin the post match festivities when he saw someone sitting alone off in the far corner of the common room.

Williams was seated at the corner table scribbling away on a long bit of parchment, two books open on the table in front of her, looking for all the world as if she were in a quiet library rather than the obscenely loud common room. He took one glance toward Fred and George who had started juggling butterbeer bottles and made the split second decision.

"What are you working on?" he asked, casually dropping into the seat across from her.

"The undetectable poisons essay for Professor Snape," she answered without looking up.

"How's it coming?" he ventured, swiping hair out of his eyes. "I haven't even started mine yet."

"You're in trouble then."

He grimaced, "That bad?"

"That depends," she finished writing the sentence she was on and leaned back in her chair, "personally I can only talk about the ingredients and effects of poisons for so long before I go completely mad. They all kill you in the end, don't they? Five feet seems a bit excessive."

"Well, I guess I know what I'll be doing all day tomorrow then," he laughed lightly.

A moment of silence fell between them while he grappled in vein for something, anything else to say that wouldn't set her off. He knew what he really wanted to ask her, but he also knew she'd never answer him.

"Why did you come over here, Potter? I know it wasn't really to ask what assignment I'm working on, so why don't you stop beating around the bush and just ask whatever it is. Then I can refuse to answer you, you can get all offended about it, and then we can both get on with the rest of our evening." There was no malice in her voice, perhaps even a hint of amusement.

"Ron said you didn't come to the match," he blurted.

Ron hadn't said anything to him about her skipping the match, but it was worth a shot, considering who she normally attended them with and their recent avoidance of one another.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, "And you're… checking up on me? Because I didn't show up to watch you and the other boys chasing your balls around for a few hours?" She shook her head. "No, I don't buy that. Why are you really here? Something you couldn't figure out just by keeping tabs on me?"

She saw right through him. His stomach clenched and he opened his mouth to snap back at her, a retort already loaded at the tip of his tongue. But the glimmer of slyness he caught in her eyes stopped him. Her tone still hadn't been accusatory and her expression remained relaxed; she was messing with him.

He fought the small smirk that pulled at his own lips and said, "I couldn't help but notice that you've been avoiding him lately."

She smiled and he realized he'd never seen her look so amused before, at least not with him.

"Something you couldn't figure out just by keeping tabs on me," she repeated.

"Everyone's noticed," he nearly huffed, "it's not just me."

"And yet, no one else seems to think it's any of their business."

He worked his jaw, scrambling for a reason to justify his curiosity.

"Did you miss the fact that I ate dinner with them this evening?" she asked.

His brow furrowed. He'd been so excited about the match that he hadn't noticed.

She drew her arms across her chest with a sigh, "Why do you hate him so much anyway?"

"Because he's a pureblood elitist who doesn't care for anyone but himself," Harry said without a moment's hesitation.

Williams blinked before responding, "How do you know that, have you ever actually had a conversation with him?"

"I have, actually, and the very first thing he ever said to me was-" he stopped short, realizing just what he was about to say.

Williams leaned forward a bit, "What did he say?"

Harry couldn't help himself, he laughed at the irony. "He told me I shouldn't make friends with the wrong sort, and that he could help me with that."

Her eyebrows rose and she fought back a smile. Her eyes glittered as she asked, "And what did you say to that?"

He was shaking his head at himself. "I said I could tell the wrong sort for myself."

"Huh," she said, a look of bewilderment appearing on her features. "I feel like I've heard something so similar to that, where would I have heard that before…"

"It's different," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Malfoy thinks he's better than everyone else just because he's a pureblood. When he said 'wrong sort' he meant muggleborns and half-bloods; meaningless labels."

"Opposed to when you say it and mean all Slytherins; another meaningless label as you put it."

"It's not because he's a Slytherin, it's what makes him a Slytherin. He thinks muggleborns should be kicked out of school or killed even, just because of their blood. How are you okay with that?"

"I never said I was okay with that."

"Then how're you friends with him?" he asked, all too aware of the pitch his voice reached.

"Because he doesn't believe that."

He blinked several times before her words fully registered. "Yes, he does."

She rolled her eyes, "You only think he believes that because he's a Slytherin."

"I know he believes it because his entire family does."

"So your entire opinion of him is based on the rest of his family? That hardly seems fair."

He scoffed, "I think it's more than fair. That's how families like his operate, he'll believe the same things that his parents do, he'll marry another pureblood who believes the same, and then they'll have their own little family of purebloods that they raise the same way."

"Maybe. Or maybe he just needs a friend to show him that his family is wrong. Maybe you could have been that friend, if you'd given him any chance at all."

Something in the pit of his stomach twisted. Maybe. Maybe she had a point. Perhaps there was a very, very small chance that Malfoy could have turned out different than his family, that any Slytherin might. But Harry didn't believe it, not for him. Williams just didn't understand, he reasoned, she hadn't seen it yet.

"So why do you hate me then? If you love giving people the benefit of the doubt so much, then why not me?"

She blinked at him a few times, no doubt surprised by his change of subject. Then she sighed. "I don't hate you, Potter, I just… don't like your nosy tendencies."

"Well, if you would just talk to me then I wouldn't have to be so nosy," he gave half a smirk.

"But then I'd be stuck talking to you," she retorted.

"You make it sound like such a horrible experience."

"You can't even imagine," a bit of firelight danced in her amber eyes briefly before her smirk faded again. "Why does everyone assume Slytherins are all going to go bad, how did it end up like that?"

"That's just the way it is, always has been."

"I've been asking that question for months and that's the only answer I ever get. It can't have always been like this, three against one. Haven't you ever wondered about it?"

He shrugged, "I'm sure Hermione could tell you what Hogwarts, A History has to say about it, but mostly it's just what I've been trying to tell you all along; they're just evil. They all believe in the superiority of pureblood and they want to get rid of all the muggleborns. There isn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin."

"So a couple of bad apples spoil the whole barrel? You act like there isn't a witch or wizard who was in Slytherin who hasn't gone bad."

"There isn't."

"That can't be true."

"Actually-"

"Have you met all of them? Talked to all of them? Can you honestly say that every single Slytherin in the whole of Hogwarts' history has been an 'evil' person?"

"That's what their house is founded on; it's what Salazar Slytherin prided himself on."

She was shaking her head before he finished talking. "That's not what the sorting hat told me. Cunning, resourcefulness, and ambition. That's what Slytherin was founded on."

"Ambition for power, cunning and resourceful in their pursuit of it-"

She cut him off, "You can be ambitious about other things. Cunning and resourcefulness make you a good seeker. Those traits aren't automatically evil."

"Why are you so determined to prove me wrong about this?"

"Why are you so determined to prove that you're right about it?"

"I'm not. I just don't-" He took a breath and a pause before continuing. "Look, whether you believe me or not, I've only been trying to help you. Eventually Malfoy is going to show you his true colors, so when that finally happens, don't say I didn't warn you."

She considered him for a moment, "If I agree to that will you stop trying to warn me?"

He couldn't help it, he scoffed and shook his head. "You're pretty stubborn, you know."

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and tilted her head. "Is that such a bad thing?"

He scoffed, "Sometimes, yeah. Mostly when you disagree with me."

A loud crack pulled Harry's attention back to the center of the room. A cursory glance over the scene revealed that Fred and George appeared to be testing their indoor firework skills, much to their older brother's distress. Harry watched the color drain from Percy's face as a stream of red and gold lit up the common room and morphed into the shape of a roaring lion.

"You know, I have to hand it to Fred and George," he said, turning back to Williams, "they really know how to light up a party."

Williams didn't respond. In fact, judging by her unfocused gaze, Harry doubted that she'd even heard him.

She mumbled something barely audible, her gaze staring absently at nothing in particular, and he wondered if she even realized she'd said it out loud.

"What's that?" he asked, despite being fairly certain that he'd heard her correctly.

Her eyes snapped back to him and for a moment she looked annoyed. "Hmm?"

"You mumbled something just then," he said.

"No I didn't," she insisted.

"Why was it a mistake to come here?" he challenged.

Some of the color left Williams' face as she realized he had indeed heard what she clearly hadn't meant to vocalize. She averted her gaze. He watched her eyes move over the room without really seeing it and he wondered what she saw instead. What memories was she tracking back through to answer his question? Her vacant expression saddened and he considered interjecting, saving her from whatever haunting answer she was searching for. But she'd made it perfectly clear that she didn't need saving, so he waited out the silence, pondering what kind of life she must have had before that would make Hogwarts a mistake. He couldn't fathom it.

"It's not what I wanted it to be," she said, barely above a whisper.

His brow furrowed, "That's all? Merlin, Williams, we've got unicorns, dragons, flying broomsticks, photos that talk to you, enchanted staircases, and quidditch! You get to learn magic from actual wizards, craft potions, tame creatures, hell even reading tea leaves beats muggle school. What more could you possibly want?"

She blinked and then shifted her gaze back to meet his and said flatly, "A ballpoint pen."

Her response caught him off guard for a moment, he certainly wasn't expecting a joke. He cracked a small smile and a scoff, "So we're joking now? I thought you didn't like me that much?"

She gave a small shake of her head, "Dodging an unwanted question with a joke doesn't qualify."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, Williams," he smirked.

"Isn't there anything you would trade all of this for?" she asked, gesturing around them. "Anything in the world."

Her abrupt change put him off balance again but he quickly answered, "No."

"Not even to have your parents back?" she mused.

His breath caught. That particular option hadn't occurred to him. His gaze dropped from hers as he recalled the image of his parents standing behind him the mirror of Erised. His mouth opened but then fell closed without emitting a sound.

"Not so simple, is it?"

He nodded, conceding. "It doesn't really matter though, does it?"

Her brow furrowed in silent question.

"Because I can't make that trade," he shrugged. "So it doesn't matter whether I want to or not."

"I suppose…" she quietly pondered for a moment before continuing, "that's a logical argument."

"Don't choke trying to admit you agree with me," he said with a smirk.

"No one said anything about agreeing with you,"

He chuckled, then leaned forward, hands on his knees. "Well, I'll let you get back to your essay, then."

"You know this doesn't make us friends, right?" she called after him.

He turned, arching an eyebrow at her, "We got through an entire conversation, I'd say that's at least a start."

"Staying civil for five minutes is hardly something to brag about, and certainly not a solid foundation for a friendship."

He couldn't help himself, he just shook his head at her. As he headed back toward the crowd he called over his shoulder back to her, "Whatever you need to tell yourself, Williams."

Kaelix heaved a sigh and rolled over for what seemed like the hundredth time already. It must have been well past midnight when Professor McGonagall had come in and ordered everyone to bed. Meaning it must be encroaching on the late hours of the morning by now and she felt like she'd barely slept at all. Her brain just wouldn't stop humming with one thought after the next. If it wasn't class assignments then it was Potter or Malfoy or the Inn Man and all his extra topics. Katherine would pop in and she would start pondering Potter's comment during their conversation earlier that evening, which would in turn lead her to something else, anything else in an effort to distract herself.

She emitted a low sound somewhere between a cry of resignation and growl of indignance as she threw back her bedsheets in frustration. There had been enough of these nights over the years that she knew it was useless to stay in bed. Swiping the potions book from her bedside table, she quietly stalked downstairs to the now deserted common room. Vaguely she registered that the entire space had been meticulously cleaned in since the last of the straggling celebrators had been chased to bed by McGonagall a short few hours ago.

Kaelix sunk into the armchair nearest the still burning fire and watched the flames flicker and dance. She focused on the soft crackles and pops and the wood was consumed, welcoming the distraction for her mind. She wondered briefly if the wood was even actually being consumed or if the fire was some magical illusion, charmed to look, act, and sound like real flame. It was plenty warm, that much was certain, but would it burn her hand if she reached out? The idea that she might test her theory never fully formed in her mind before she nearly jumped straight out of her seat at the shout from the boys' dormitory.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

It was a piercing scream, louder than it should have been, until a door slammed shut and muffled the sound. Hard, fast footsteps followed, thundering down the stairs. A portion of the initial spark of adrenalin quickly morphed into frustration and Kaelix stood and spun around, her potions book dropping to floor forgotten.

"It's three in the morning, what the bloody hell-" she stopped short when she saw the figure that emerged frantically from the boys' staircase.

His attention snapped to her immediately, his eyes wild, angry, and… afraid? Kaelix was staring straight into the face of the man that killed thirteen people with a single curse and he looked frightened of her. He shrunk away from her, pressing up against the wall that was too close behind him, desperately willing himself to pass straight through it. The moment stretched on forever, her stomach in knots, her heartbeat impossibly loud in her ears. He looked worse than she remembered, perhaps it was the lighting, but he appeared more ragged, more desperate.

An image flashed in her mind of the shrivelled, lifeless face of a dementor bearing down on his to suck out his soul. A fate worse than death. Did he really deserve that?

A door slammed open upstairs and Black jumped into motion again. He was out the portrait hole in seconds, leaving her to stare after him, yet again unharmed. He could have taken her hostage, should have, if he wanted to absolutely ensure that he would get out of this castle alive, but he didn't. Kaelix shook her head at her own foolishness. The man had made it out alive once before, and that was when everyone had been awake, he certainly wouldn't need a hostage to do it again while everyone was rousing from sleep. The first of which were just now thundering down the stairs. He likely had all the time he needed to maintain his freedom. For now. Any act of aggression toward her only would have slowed him down. So maybe he was a violent murderer and maybe she was just lucky. But still, something nagged at her.

The realization hit her the way expecting one more stair does, except there was no landing to catch herself as her stomach dropped. She grabbed the armchair for support and tried to force air back into her lungs. Malfoy's words echoed through her mind: You two could be twins. Everything around her faded out as the thoughts she hadn't even realized she'd been trying to avoid came crashing down on her with the force of a wave. Her chest tightened with the force of it as she willed herself to remember; what else had the letter said? There had been something about time, hadn't there? One tiny comment that hadn't been enough on it's own, but now…

She abandoned her potions book and bolted for the girls' staircase, peripherally aware of Weasley bellowing something about Black standing over him. It wasn't possible, the vague whisper of an idea that had taken root in her mind, it just wasn't possible. She would have known, somehow she would have known. At least, that's what she told herself as she raced up the stairs, passing the other girls who were still disoriented with sleep on their way down to inspect the commotion that Black had caused. She crossed her room in seconds, kneeling before her trunk and throwing it open, thankful for the privacy that Black's disturbance had afforded her.

She dug down to the very bottom, where she'd buried the letter and all the involuntary hope it had drummed up, tossing clothes and books aside with a franticness she didn't know she possessed. She had all the pieces already, didn't she? The missing person's report, the unidentified muggle, and the letter. She froze, stopping just short of grabbing it, her breath catching. Her breath caught, a lump in her throat, dread sweeping in. Maybe she should bury it again; pretend she hadn't figured it out, just forget the whole thing. Her hand trembled; it was too late for that.

She grabbed the letter and unfolded the familiar creases. Her eyes scanning the content that she'd nearly memorized the day it arrived, how had she forgotten so quickly? Kaelix bit her lip as she recalled the familiar words "... keeping secrets, disappearing… I'm sorry for lying to you, and for leaving the way I did two years ago…". There it was. Two years ago. The last piece of the puzzle she hadn't even realized she was putting together. She dug out the Prophet articles she'd kept tucked away as well, and laid them out in front of her.

There was no direct line connecting her to Katherine, nothing that explicitly said Kaelix Williams is Katherine Holstein's daughter. That kind of explicit clarity was probably too much to ask for. But she didn't need a skywriter or a billboard to spell it out for her when a string of far too many coincidences did the job well enough. Her eyes flickered between the newspaper clippings and the letter. Katherine Holstein had disappeared in September of 1979, just over 9 months later Kaelix was born, and the next year on November 1st, 1981 Katherine Holstein was killed. September of '79 to November of '81 was just over two years; the letter apologized for disappearing two years prior. The letter also said she would be in London on the first; Katherine was killed in London, on the first.

But all of that wasn't what made her stomach clench with nausea, she'd already mused over Katherine being her mother. The thought that pushed her heart rate faster and sent blood pulsing in her ears was the seemingly offhand comment of the missing persons article: Ms Holstein's disappearance was reported by recent mass murderer Sirius Black, with whom she had been living prior to her disappearance. If they'd been living together, if Katherine had been pregnant when she disappeared and actually was Kaelix's mother, then there was a chance… The way Black looked at her… maybe Remus hadn't been the only one to recognize her. Maybe she'd come face to face with her own father and never realized it.

"What on Earth do you mean you've never travelled by floo powder? Everyone has travelled by floo powder, how have you never done it?" he asked.

"You've never ridden in a car, so I don't think you can be that surprised that I haven't used that floo stuff," she countered, squinting slightly as the sun reflected off the fresh layer of snow blanketing Hogsmeade.

"But that's a muggle thing, travelling by car, that's why I haven't done it. Floo is a wizarding travel method and you are a witch, aren't you?" he cocked his head with a smirk.

"I told you I grew up as a muggle, when would I have had access to your wizard transportation powder?"

"Floo powder," he corrected. "You're a third year, they didn't have floo powder at your previous school?"

"Seeing as it was a muggle school, no they didn't."

His gait stuttered and he almost tripped on the uneven cobbles in the street. "Wait, you didn't transfer from another wizarding school?"

"Have I not mentioned that before?" she said with as much nonchalance as she could muster.

"Williams, I definitely would have remembered that. You mean to tell me that you didn't know a single spell before you came here last September?"

She shrugged, "I didn't even know spells were real until last July."

Malfoy blinked a few times before his next question, "So you've only been practicing magic for 6 months? That's all?"

"Yeah, you did that math right. How did you learn to do math anyway? It's not a course here…" Her brow furrowed.

"How have you only been doing magic for six months?"

"Right? It feels way longer than that. Probably means I'm spending too much time with you," she said with a smirk.

He looked aghast, "You say that like it's a bad thing?"

"You're terribly painful to be around, I've told you this before."

"How can any time spent with me be painful when you have the pleasure of looking at this the entire time," he gestured to his face.

"Doesn't it get tiring carrying that enormous head of yours around all day? Between that and the size of your ego you must be exhausted."

"You know they say that if you tease someone, it's because you actually find them irresistibly attractive," he smirked and lifted an eyebrow at her.

"People don't say that, I've never heard anyone say that. Did you just invent that to make yourself feel better?"

"People do say it," he snapped, then added hastily, "when you like someone you automatically overcompensate by insulting them so they won't notice that you like them, which, ironically, makes it rather obvious."

"Damn, I've had it backwards all this time, I'll have to stop insulting you and start insulting Nott."

"You like Nott?" Malfoy asked rather quickly.

"Wait, you insult Potter every chance you get. Is there something you haven't told me?" she asked with a sly smile.

"What?" he nearly tripped again, then snapped with a scowl, "no."

"Oh shoot, I insult Potter sometimes too. I'll have to stop that altogether, he's irritating enough as it is, wouldn't want him to think my insults were coming from a place of warmth-"

"What did you say about Nott?"

"But now that I really think about it, he insults me too. Well, maybe not insults, but he's plenty annoying and definitely mean, does it count if they're just plain mean?" she asked.

"I don't know, is Nott mean to you?" Malfoy asked through his still present scowl.

"Sometimes. Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if Potter wasn't up to date on these rules, he is a bit daft sometimes. Or maybe that's why he's so-"

"Williams," Malfoy snapped, stopping abruptly.

She stopped a pace or two past him and turned back. Feigning innocence, she asked, "What?"

"Are you serious?"

He certainly was.

"Relax," she couldn't help a small grin, "I was only playing along."

"You were joking then, about liking Nott?"

"Of course I was joking, same as you were," she assured him. "But even if I wasn't, what's wrong with Nott? Well besides the obvious."

"Besides the obvious he's a self absorbed git," Malfoy responded.

"Hmm, sounds like another Slytherin I know," she teased, swinging her elbow to bump his arm.

The tension fell from his expression and he shook his head at her. Which only served to widen her grin a bit more. It was always fun to get one over on him. He set off down the cobbled street again and she hurried to catch up to him.

"I didn't say which Slytherin, but you should really know by now that-"

Her eyes met the hollow black pools that were plastered all around the village. She'd managed to avoid looking directly at them so far, but now they caught her wandering gaze and ensnared her. This time she was the one who stuttered to a stop in the middle of the street.

"Know what?"

"Huh?" she turned sharply back to him.

"You were saying something and then you just stopped,"

"Oh, sorry, I just-" she glanced back at the screaming mugshot that mocked her from the shop door it was taped to, or at least she assumed it was taped but really it was probably a sticking spell. "I got distracted. What were we talking about?"

"Nothing more important than whatever just stole your attention. What are you staring at?" he asked, stepping closer, trying to discern where her gaze had flicked to.

"It's nothing," she said, shoving past him to continue once more down the street.

"No," he said behind her and she could practically feel his eye roll. "Something has been bothering you all day, I can tell."

She waffled. He was right, but she wasn't sure she wanted to admit it. As if verbalizing her theory somehow increased the chances of it being true. She chewed the inside of her lip as she contemplated telling him. It was either true or it wasn't, right? Telling one person wouldn't change reality. She opened her mouth but still the words didn't come and the silence stretched between them.

"You don't have to tell me, you know," he said with a shrug. "But you can if you want."

"It's not that, I just-" she exhaled and watched the foggy breath dissipate in front of her. "I think you're right."

"That's a first, you're not usually willing to admit that, but what about?"

"I think Katherine is- was my mother, like you guessed."

"Did you find something else?"

She shook her head. "Er- not really, but I- something else did occur to me."

He cocked an eyebrow, "Something… related to Katherine?"

"Black broke into the castle again the other night."

Malfoy's brow furrowed but he remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"When I saw him in the common room I remembered something else I hadn't connected. Something from the Prophet." Her lips trembled slightly at the thought and she cured herself. She worked her lips a bit to hide it, hoping if Malfoy noticed he'd assume it was from the cold. "Katherine lived with Black before she went missing. Right up until about nine months before I was born." She hated how small her voice sounded.

He let out a low whistle. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Kaelix shrugged. "I don't know. It would certainly explain some things."

"Do you think that's why he hesitated when he saw you, do you think he recognized you?"

"It crossed my mind. Maybe that's why I'm so convinced that he isn't what he seems? Maybe on some level I recognized him somehow."

Malfoy ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "That seems like a stretch. I mean, if all this played out the way we think it did then you never really knew him."

"Yeah, I suppose…" she trailed off, her thoughts wandering down winding trails of what ifs.

She wasn't sure how long her attention had wandered when Malfoy interrupted, "How about some ice cream then?"

She scoffed, "Are you kidding?"

"What? They have flavours besides chocolate if that's what you're on about."

"It's freezing out here," she blew a cloud of fog with her breath for emphasis. "It's so cold your cheeks actually have a bit of color for once."

"You know, normally I would be offended by that but today I think I'll let it slide. You clearly need a treat, and since I know you've already picked out which flavour you want, just tell me and then I'll meet you at the picnic tables across from Madam Puddifoot's for shameless mocking of the sappy couples."

She couldn't help the involuntary smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth no matter how hard she tried.

"Mint with strawberries," she said.

He nodded and turned to make his way into Honeydukes. Kaelix moved past Honeydukes, toward the magically warmed picnic tables. She found an empty table near the edge of the warmed area, happy for the reprieve from the frost bitten air. She'd glimpsed the line in Honeydukes, it would be a bit before Malfoy caught up to her. But she hadn't been there five minutes when someone else appeared to keep her company.

There was a familiar feeling and she knew before she even looked up. "Checking up on me again, are you?"

"Hardly," said the now familiar voice as he took a seat across from her.

She readjusted in her seat and continued without looking at him, "Well, classes have been brutal these past few weeks, things are pretty tense between the Slytherins and the Gryffindors, what with the cup being so close-"

"What are you-?"

"Most everyone is on edge since Black broke into the castle again, although again he didn't hurt a single soul so I'm beginning to think they may all be overreacting a bit. I received an anonymous gift related to Michael O'Connor in addition to the letter and the necklace I also received anonymously, though something tells me that's why you're here. Oh and I just recently found out that my mom's been dead since I was a baby, but I'm doing great thanks so much for asking."

There was no response. She looked over and saw the corner of the thin line that was his mouth twitch. She flashed her own cheerful smile his way to further disturb his already ruffled feathers.

"Are you quite finished?" his tone clipped.

"Hardly, but enough about me, how have you been? Periodic meetings with students taking up most of your time these days? Or have you been spending some quality time with your family of late? I do hope you are, you wouldn't want them to feel neglected in all this."

All he said was, "Didn't you find anything interesting about the O'Connor boy's notes?"

She rolled her eyes, "Fine, but don't ever say that I was the one who didn't make the effort. O'Connor's notes haven't turned up anything yet."

His eyes widened a bit and she could have sworn one of them twitched, "You haven't learned a thing?"

"Give me some credit," she hissed. "None of the books he mentioned are in the school library. I sent for a few of them but the book keeper I contacted hasn't gotten back to me yet. Other than that I'm not sure what else you expected me to do with such limited information."

His lips pursed to a thin line, "I had foolishly hoped that you would be a bit more resourceful."

"A bit more resourceful?" She leaned forward and her voice dropped to a deadly whisper, "all you've ever given me are whispers of hints and fragments of clues. The Old Man won't tell me anything beyond what fits into his personal agenda. Madam Pince has been more helpful than the both of you put together and all she's done is point me to a section of the library. You can't expect me to have figured everything out and gathered up all the information when I still don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for."

His gaze flickered over her shoulder briefly before returning to her face, unfazed by her irritation. "I'd thought that was rather obvious by now."

"Obvious, really? I don't think it's obvious at all that O'Connor's death was staged as an accident because he was asking the wrong questions. I also don't think it's very obvious that three deaths spanning nearly 75 years, that all appear to be accidental, are actually connected. You, however, have been terribly obvious about the fact that you believe I might be next, that whatever questions, whatever secrets may have led to these people being hunted down and murdered, are eventually going to lead to me."

"So you have managed to figure something out." His gaze flickered over her shoulder again.

Her jaw clenched in annoyance, if he was going to sit and chat with her the least he could do was pay attention. "There's just one problem, Katherine's death was truly an accident. It was just bad luck, her being in the street that day."

"Are you sure?"

She had been, until he asked that question the way he did, with his eyebrow raised just so and the ghost of a mocking smile graced his lips. "Are you telling me there's a reason not to be?"

"I thought you didn't believe in coincidences?" he asked. "Any ideas as to why they were murdered?"

"Is that a confirmation?" she asked quietly.

"Merely that I've drawn the same conclusions as you. There's no hard evidence to back it up so technically it's little more than a working theory that the deaths are connected and were intentional."

"Well then my current working theory is that O'Connor asked too many of the wrong questions about the wegenstehl, and perhaps Fuhrmann did as well. And if that's what got them killed then all I have to do is avoid asking about them and I'm home-free."

"Your home will be free of what?"

"No, not free of something. Home-free like in- you know what, nevermind. If I don't ask about the wegenstehl, I don't end up accidentally dead. End of story."

"You really think it's that simple, you think I spent all this time with you only to have you not asking questions?"

"As much as I love the idea of you telling a really elaborate curiosity killed the cat metaphor, no. But you're going to have to give me something if you want me asking around about something that's gotten people killed."

His eyes flashed with annoyance, "You really think that's what got them killed, questions? If that's all it was they would have been easy enough to deal with."

"Well if it wasn't their nosy questions that got them killed, what was it-" she stopped as realization dawned on her. "What exactly is a wegenstehl?"

A small, cruel smile turned the corners of his lips, "Now you're on the right track. Unfortunately, I don't know for certain, no one does except a few Unspeakables in the Department of Mysteries."

"Unspeakables?"

He continued without acknowledging her question, "Not much is known beyond rumors. As you may have gathered from O'Connor's notes, the Ministry only allows certain documents with certain information to be publicly available and denies the existence of anything else. All I can really tell you is that they, along with most of the wizarding world, are afraid of wegenstehl, so afraid that they're willing to dispose of them discreetly."

"Do these rumors say anything about why they are so afraid?" she asked, not missing his gaze flickering over her shoulder yet again.

"It's rumored that a single wegenstehl has the power to destroy entire wizard communities, that they are so powerful that they make wizards look like squibs by comparison."

"But you're not afraid, are you?"

"I choose to see potential in that power, rather than fear it."

"You think… you think I...?"

"Are you?"

"How am I supposed to bloody know? I didn't even know I was a witch until the Old Man showed up and told me, so how am I supposed to know if I'm one of those," she waved a hand, "things? Is there some sort of test or something?"

His gaze flickered over her shoulder and focused briefly on something. She detected the smallest shake of his head.

"What do you keep looking at?" she turned to see where his gaze fell but there was nothing save for the undulating throng of students entering and exiting the shops.

"Nothing," he snapped. "You'll need to figure that out on your own, Miss Williams, but do so quickly. Because if they suspect you are one, they won't be coming to ask questions, there will be no test, and it won't matter if they're right or wrong. If they come for you, they'll be coming to make you disappear too."

He paused to let his words sink in before continuing, "If you think the Old Man doesn't already know this and more, then you're a fool. He has his own plans for you and I'd bet they don't prioritize informing you of any of it, to him you're little more than a pawn to be used. In fact, I'd bet that he brought you to Hogwarts so he could keep an eye on you, not that he'd ever tell you that. Can you really trust someone like that?"

"And you're saying what? That I should trust you instead?" she shook her head.

"I'm not asking for your trust, Miss Williams, I'm simply arming you with the knowledge so you might defend yourself, should the need arise. And perhaps, if fortune would have it, you might return the favor one day."

She drew her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair. "What could I possibly help you with?"

"I don't claim to be a seer, I just know how important it is to have people in your corner." He paused, his gaze narrowing. "I expect you know something of that."

Her brow furrowed but before she could open her mouth to question his statement he continued.

"Your brother."

Her stomach dropped, "I don't have a brother."

"Interesting. Because I'm fairly certain the Old Man knows something about him, specifically about what happened to him." He let his words fester in the pit of her stomach before he continued again. "He also knows about your parents, your past, and something of your future. So I ask again, can you really trust someone like that?"

"No, I don't suppose I can. I'd much rather trust someone who keeps appearing randomly to drop little nuggets of clues to string me along on a treasure hunt for the information that he could just give me, including his name."

His expression was flat. "I have given you the means to find the knowledge you need so that you might learn to help yourself, defend yourself if necessary. And once equipped to do so, that you might help others as well. This may come as a shock to you but not everyone in the wizarding world sees eye to eye. There are some who are persecuted for things as simple as personal beliefs. If you were equipped to help them avoid persecution, would you not do so?"

Help those who couldn't help themselves, absolutely, but she had a feeling that it wasn't that easy. "That still doesn't give me your name, even though you've known mine since before we even met."

"As I said, not everyone in the wizarding world sees eye to eye. There are those who would stop you from meeting with me, if they knew. I need to know that you're on my side before I give you information that might compromise me. I need to know you won't go running back to the Old Man immediately after finding out my identity. If you can convince me of that, then we'll get to know each other better. I'll be in touch."

He started to rise from his seat but she wasn't done just yet, "Did you know, the first time you talked to me, that she was my mother?"

He didn't answer immediately but he did slowly lower himself back into his seat.

"If you really want me to trust you, then you better give me the truth right now. I've had adults lying to me for as long as I can remember, it's surprisingly easy to recognize." She was irritated that the words sounded smaller rather than threatening but hoped her point was made anyway.

His eyes were clear when he answered, "I suspected but I didn't know for certain, which is why I didn't outright tell you. That and I assumed that you wouldn't believe me unless you found out for yourself."

It sounded true enough.

"And my father, do you suspect you know who he is too?"

His eyes narrowed, "No one that you haven't already suspected yourself."

Her crossed arms tightened instinctively and she immediately continued, "And should I thank you for that letter and the necklace too then?"

He schooled his features well but she didn't miss the brief ripple of confusion that crossed them.

"I'll take that as a no. Which means you might have some competition in the cryptic clues department. I wouldn't let your guard down if I were you," she added with a smirk.

It was difficult to tell if the look of displeasure on his face was from the flippancy of her comment or the idea that someone else was feeding her information. Or perhaps his face was just stuck in that unpleasant state from too many hours spent scowling. He scowled so much it felt familiar already.

"I know you don't trust me and I understand why. But you and I are on the same side, whether you want to believe it or not. Rest assured that if he thinks you're straying too far from the plans he has for you, he will do whatever is within his power to set you back just where he wants you. No matter the cost."

"I guess I'd better be discreet then," she said with another smirk.

He gave a small approving nod before he rose and moved off in the opposite direction he'd originally come from. She stared after him for awhile, watching the place where he disappeared into the crowd with an unfocused gaze. As infuriating as the man was, at least he was marginally more helpful than the Old Man had been. What did it matter that these other people had disappeared? Why should it affect her life? She still wasn't sure what his angle was, claiming they were on the same side but not explaining what they were taking sides over. What did a thirteen year old girl matter to two grown men?

Her eyes focused on nothing as she sunk into her own thoughts. A sudden breeze sent a shiver down her spine and before she had a chance to contemplate how the chilly breeze had penetrated the warming charm around the table a small voice broke through her mind.

"Mum, mum?" she was tugging on the edge of her mother's cloak and pointing eagerly toward one of the shop windows. "Why is that man wanted?"

Kaelix glanced over to see who she was pointing at expecting to see a person, not registering what the exact wording the girl had used had already given away the answer. Black.

The animated photos of the wizarding world had held some wonder for Kaelix upon her first arriving at Hogwarts, but like many other aspects of the magical world she quickly lost interest when she realized how similar it was to a muggle alternative. There wasn't much difference between the posters strewn all over Hogsmeade depicting the desperate, hollow, haunted face of Sirius Black than those mugshots of criminals shown on the television sets in the muggle world.

"He did something horrible and unforgivable, sweetie, something so bad that it got him locked up all by himself for his whole life," the girl's mother explained.

"Something naughty?" she asked, her eyes wide in disbelief.

Her mother laughed, "Yes, something naughty."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because some people are like the villains in your bedtime stories, dear. Some people are evil."

"He doesn't look evil,"

"He doesn't?"

She shook her head, "He looks sad. And scared."

"Well I'm sure he is, darling, but…" she led her daughter out of earshot before Kaelix could hear the forthcoming 'but', leaving her to ponder what the woman might have been getting at.

But she found herself more interested in what the little girl had said about Black. He looks sad. And scared. Kaelix stared at the poster in question. Though they were impossible to miss, the Ministry had practically wallpapered the village with them, Kaelix hadn't actually spared them more than a passing glance until now. The poster painted Black as a raving madman. His disheveled portrait furiously screaming out of the page. She continued to watch him turn one way and then the other, barely seeming to stop for a spare breath in between. But the longer she watched, the less furious he appeared. His hair was limp, his expression flickered with pain. Somewhere between all the anger, he was screaming in anguish.

He turned again and his eyes bored into her sending a shiver down her spine. She shifted in her seat, somehow more off put by this photo of him than of his actual person. The anguish was gone. She fidgeted with the necklace pendant that was still in her robe pocket and clenched her teeth as the prospect of who Black really was slithered into her mind once more. He was the reason she'd never known her mother. He was the reason she was alone. But he could also be the reason she wasn't. She halted that train of thought before it went anywhere. Even if he was her father, which she'd already decided he definitely wasn't, but even if he was it was meaningless. She'd still be alone.

She glanced down at the necklace again, the thought of where or who her mother might have gotten it from temporarily distracting her from other ponderings. She turned it around and around between her fingers, her one and only connection, and noticed for the first time since receiving it that there was an impossibly thin line that tracked all the way around. It was so thin that she'd assumed it was ornamental but… she ran a fingernail along one side, trying to wedge her way into the space. It wouldn't budge and she was convinced it was just part of the pendant's decoration, but just when she was about to give up the seam widened the smallest fraction. With renewed enthusiasm she tried to pry her nail into the crack, wondering briefly if she was simply breaking it before it gave way and flew open.

She flailed frantically to catch it and had a small chuckle with herself at what that must have looked like to someone watching her. A bit of warmth rose in her cheeks at the prospect and with a slight grimace she turned the pendant over to look at what was hidden inside. On one side of the locket was an engraving, and the other side contained a picture of a young man and woman. She recognized the woman immediately, though she was a bit younger than the other pictures she'd seen, there was no doubt in her mind that it was Katherine Holstein looking back at her from the small photo. The man she couldn't place so easily. Her eyes scanned his features and lingered on the familiarity there, her brow furrowed. She shifted her focus over to the engraving, it was almost too small to read. KDH, Always with you. Mum & Dad.

The last word was a punch to the gut as she simultaneously registered why the young man felt so familiar. Her eyes latched back onto the photo as thought after thought started reeling through her mind. Katherine was younger and so was her father. That was why she hadn't recognized him instantly. His cheeks weren't as hollow, his eyes were brighter, and he was smiling. She'd never seen him beam the way he did at her now. The face she knew was a shadow of this one.

She watched them together, they couldn't be older than sixteen, and Kaelix wondered if the photo had been taken while they were at Hogwarts. Something about the way they kept stealing glances at each other, the way they seemed to be playfully teasing one another, it was plain on their faces; they were in love. Her parents. Her parents. Both of them, together and happy. Mum & Dad. Her mind stalled out on that single thought as it rang through her.

Her stomach flipped over with the thought that he might know. Her father may very well have looked her in the eye knowing who she was and not said a damn thing. The Old Man must have known. Whoever had given her this necklace must have known. Why hadn't anyone told her? What difference would it have made to give her this one piece of information?

She averted her eyes from the photo and instantly regretted it as they landed once more on the drawn, pale, screaming picture of the fugitive on the wall. The full weight of this man, of what he'd done, hit her in an unrelenting wave. She was warm despite the expired warming charms, the frigid air barely tempering her skin. She seethed. That small voice of doubt that had always flickered in her mind about Black's guilt was extinguished. The confirmation of what he'd truly done was too much for her.

She stood abruptly, barely registering the overturned chair that she left in her wake. Forgetting about Malfoy entirely, she moved. She was moving before she knew where she was going, moving because she couldn't stand to sit there drowning beneath this knowledge any longer. Her breaths quickened as she maneuvered through the crowded street. Her surroundings were a hazy, indistinguishable blur as she somehow made her way toward the edge of the village. But no matter how quickly she ducked and darted between her fellow students, she couldn't dodge her own thoughts. Why didn't anyone tell me? Why couldn't I know? Why send the locket?

Why.

Why.

Why.

She pressed on, her pace quickening with the thoughts and questions racing through her mind. Sweat formed on her brow and in her distracted state she hardly registered that it wasn't entirely from her exertion. She didn't notice the warmth collecting around her like a fog settling over a mountaintop. She didn't notice anything until a piercing voice cut through her mind and a very solid figure stepped into her path too quickly for her to dodge. They collided and in her already shaken state, she stumbled backward, only just catching herself in time to remain on her feet.

"Where are you running off to so quickly?" her voice grating against Kaelix's ears.

Slightly dazed after being jerked so unceremoniously from her thoughts, it took her a moment to realize it was Pansy. Along with Daphne and Millicent, flanking her like bodyguards.

"Leave me alone, Pansy," her tone was low and warning.

She tried to move past her and her entourage but Millicent sidestepped to block her way. The building heat created a buzzing in her head, that's when she noticed just how warm she'd become. She tried to clamp walls down around herself, blocking out the waves of heat rolling toward her.

"What's wrong, are you sad that he's not paying attention to you anymore?" she sneered. "Did you honestly think he was your friend? A slytherin mingling with a filthy gryffindor? What. A. Joke."

The three of them laughing together echoed and assaulted Kaelix's already raw nerves. The heat pressed on her in an unfamiliar way. It was pushing out now, bubbling up from within. But it continued weighing in on her as well. Pooling around her and shuddering within her, begging to be spent.

"Let me pass," she hissed at them.

"I knew it wouldn't last," Pansy continued, "you were just a game to him, it was only a matter of time before he got bored with you and moved on."

Kaelix gritted her teeth against the internal struggle. "You don't want to do this right now, Pansy," she ground out.

The heat bubbled and roiled, pressing harder and undulating relentlessly within her. She'd never collected so much before, she'd never needed to, and now she was not only fighting to stop the heat from building, she was also fighting to keep what had collected from exploding in any way that it could.

"I don't know what's more pathetic, the fact that you were just a game to him, or the fact that you couldn't even figure it out."

"You don't even know what you're talking about." She closed her eyes, wishing desperately to bury herself deep into the snow piled at the edge of the street. Too much, it was too much. She was going to burn up with the effort.

"What I know is that you have no friends and no family, because no one wants you," she said with a cruel smile. "The gryffindors don't want you. The slytherins certainly don't want you. Draco's only been keeping you around because his daddy told him too." Her voice dropped lower but somehow it was the only thing Kaelix could hear over the roaring in her own ears. "And even your very own parents couldn't be bothered to stick around. I'm sure they're much, much happier without you."

Something within her snapped, and when it snapped so did the barriers she'd erected around that restless pool of heat. With nothing keeping the inflow at bay, it resumed. It was no longer the steady and calm draw inward that it was during her lessons, but an involuntary assault, pouring into her, over her, suffocating. Sweat slid down her back despite the biting cold around her. It was hotter than the hottest summer day she'd ever experienced. And with no barrier to keep the heat from pouring in, there was no barrier to keep what she had collected from pouring out either.

It happened almost faster than Kaelix could register it, the heat bubbled over and escaped her with explosive force. She felt it pulse toward Pansy and she panicked. Reeling with a split second realization, she silently willed it to avert its path. As the heat burst from her, her knees buckled and she stumbled to the ground. Entirely drained in an instant. She was shaking, her body was spent and nearly frozen. The overwhelming heat that had plagued her only seconds ago was completely gone. Her breath came in wisps of fog and her hands had gone numb.

It was silent for a moment, broken only by her own rasping breaths. But the world wasn't. The chaos around her was muffled while her ears were ringing. The ground spun and she closed her eyes tight against it, forcing her breaths to come as evenly as she could. When she blinked her eyes open to test her vision she stared unseeing at her hands. They seemed for the moment like they belonged to someone else, she couldn't feel them. In fact she couldn't feel much of anything, her whole body was numb and she wasn't sure whether it was from the cold or the magic.

She heard a muffled sound that might have been her name but it was too distant, too foregin for her ears to translate. They did translate the sound of her chattering teeth before she even realized they were. Her breaths were still coming in stuttered gasps and she felt remarkably like she'd just come up from drowning in the ocean. Breathless and freezing.

"Williams?" The voice wasn't as muffled this time.

Other sounds were breaking through as well. People were shouting, screaming, and running. Her eyes drifted up to the cobbles where Pansy had been standing and her throat constricted at the blast streaks littering the ground. She glanced around. They extended in every direction from where she sat. She caught a glimpse of a shop front that had been shredded, large gouges cutting through the wooden facade, the shattered glass windows littering the ground.

"Williams?"

She looked over her shoulder to find Malfoy staring at her, shock written all over his face and his eyes- his eyes were full of something she hadn't seen in years. Her breath caught again and she struggled to stand, feeling a bit like a newborn giraffe on wobbly legs. She stumbled and some of the onlookers pulled away. The feeling was slowly returning to her legs and without chancing a glance toward where Pansy lay crumpled against the wall of a shop, she ran. She ran away from the prying stares, the destruction, and the debris. She ran from the unfathomable heat and the now burning cold. She ran from what she'd learned in that locket and what she'd seen in his eyes.

When she reached the castle she slowed to a quick walk, her breaths coming in uneven gasps. She climbed the main staircase as quickly as her burning lungs would allow, not entirely certain where she was going or what would happen to her now. They'd likely ship her back home for attacking Pansy like that, or worse, depending on how badly she was hurt. Maybe send her off to Azkaban… She shook her head as a shiver went down her spine. She paused at a corridor junction and tried to catch her breath. A scraping noise made her jump and check over her shoulder. It wouldn't be long before they found her.

Rounding a corner she nearly collided with someone but jumped hastily backward, almost tripping in the process. She looked up and found Professor Snape gazing down at her.

She self consciously slid her hands into her pockets, despite knowing that the otherworldly glow they had developed in the village had long since faded from her skin, they were still painfully cold anyway. "I'm sorry, Professor, I was just-" she paused, searching for any purpose she might give for nearly colliding with him. Then she realized where she was. "I was just looking for Professor Lupin." It was a lie, Lupin was the last person she wanted to see right now.

He glanced disdainfully over his shoulder to the office door. "He seems to be absent from his office at the moment."

"What… Oh," she said, her brain taking a moment to process Snape's words.

"Is there something I can help you with?" he offered.

"What? No, I just-" she shivered, her breath rattling. She was still shaking from her adrenalin and the penetrating cold of the village.

"Is everything alright, Miss Williams?" he asked slowly.

"Yeah… No. Umm…" she stumbled over her words and tried to focus on anything through the fog that was collecting in her brain.

She averted her gaze and fidgeted with her robes. Her still cold hands tucked deep into her pockets. She considered telling Professor Snape what had just happened, she considered asking him for help. Biting her lip briefly she cast the idea away, how could she possibly explain what had just happened?

"Miss Williams?" his voice was low, or at least it sounded that way.

She pressed a hand to her head and rubbed her temple, forgetting for a moment that they might still be glowing. Her eyes clenched tight against the unsteady feeling that persisted through her body.

"I think something's wrong with me," her own voice sounded foreign.

"Why do you say that?"

Why had she said that?

What was she talking about?

The candlelight flickered in her vision as she tried to remember.

There had been an explosion… Was everything on fire?

Black's screaming face flashed in her mind and morphed into another.

No, that wasn't right. Was she still shivering?

You'll have to figure that out for yourself.

She sucked in a breath and reached for the wall to steady herself. As she made contact with the stone a small wave of heat pulsed away from her hand. It sent another shiver down her spine and a fresh wave of cold swept over her body. She looked down the corridor to her right and watched as each and every candle was extinguished down the length of it. She let out a slow rattling breath that ghosted away from her in stuttering waves. That's when she noticed the blue tinge to her fingernails, they'd gone numb again.

She looked back at Snape, "That's why." She pulled her robe tighter around her, only just noticing that she seemed to somehow be getting colder despite the warmth of the castle.

"Are you ill, Miss Williams? You seem unreasonably cold?"

She had to focus on each word as if translating them to her native language.

She shook her head, "It's unreasonably cold out today."

"Yet you appear to be colder than you were just a moment ago," his critical gaze swept over her.

Was he concerned? Something was definitely wrong with her head.

"I'm fine-" she stopped.

Footsteps that seemed to echo directly through her brain approached from a direction she couldn't discern.

"Severus?" the voice was muffled but she knew it was him. "Is everything alright? Is that Kaelix?"

She couldn't see him beyond Snape and she was grateful for it. She was still wondering if he knew, if he'd known the whole time. But part of her had forgotten what she was afraid he'd known. How was it still so cold?

"I was just escorting Miss Williams to the hospital wing, she's not feeling well," Professor Snape said over his shoulder.

"What's the matter? Has something happened?" his voice sounded louder and more distant at the same time.

Her expression must have betrayed the silent alarm that flashed through her veins, because Snape turned, stopping Remus in his tracks as he said, "No. Just a little cold."

It wasn't exactly a lie. She could have laughed at the irony, would have if it weren't for the painfully cold numbness settling in her nose and cheeks. She could hardly move her face.

"I have some spare pepperup potion in my office if that's all it is," Remus said. "I'd be happy to fetch some."

"That won't be necessary," was that an edge she heard in Snape's voice? She couldn't tell.

Remus spoke again but it was too distant for Kaelix's ears. The adrenalin that had pushed her to run from Hogsmeade had depleted, and any bit of warmth that she'd regained during her run to the castle had left her. Snape was speaking again but she could barely hear it, let alone make out what he was saying.

A figure materialized down the corridor to her right, heading straight for her. She was hallucinating, it couldn't be.

Austin?

Her vision went dark and the world tilted. She stumbled and someone shouted something that might have been her name. She was vaguely aware of Snape shifting to catch her and mumbling something she couldn't make out as she fell into complete darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Aaaayyyyyeeeeeeeeeee I'm not dead! I'm so terribly sorry about the unforgivable length of time that has elapsed since my last update on here. I have no good excuse other than Adult Life (TM) *thumbs up*. If you're still reading this I want to thank you so dang much for your patience, you're the best, seriously. I'm really, really hoping that I can keep my act together and get all you lovelies another chapter in a more reasonable amount of time. It is super duper encouraging and motivating when y'all leave me reviews and I am about to go respond to any that were left on the last chapter (you know, ages ago...). Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and if you did I'd love to hear why? Thanks so much!


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